The Mad Witch's Ib 2
by scarloot
Summary: The sequel to The Mad Witch's Ib. uwu If u haven't read that I suggest you do because then it'll make more sense. Also ****SPOILERS**** Here's the link to the first one! (If you wanna read it) /s/9857417/1/The-Mad-Witch-s-Ib
1. Begin

_This gallery is a huge place. I can't even begin to imagine how long it must have taken Guertena to put that much spirit into his work... ...I wonder where Viola is?_

Aki and Viola had stayed behind in the Fabricated World; Viola because she sacrificed herself to save Mary, and Aki because she had been killed after burning Misao's painting.

"Huh..."

_She's probably exploring again...looking for paintings to hang out with..._

Viola had turned the creepy blue dolls into dolls that looked...almost like normal dolls that younger girls played with. _They still creep me out a little though...those eyes...won't stop staring..._

Of course, Viola and Aki both had paintings as well. Viola's was of a beautiful rose garden, a greyish house with a red roof in the background and green roses decorating the edges of the painting. Aki's was of a schoolyard, not unlike Misao's, but with grey roses dotted here and there, and more people in the background. Aki couldn't spot any figure that looked remotely like Misao in the painting, though.

_ I wonder when more people will visit the gallery? Or when more people will hang the Guertena paintings somewhere else?_ Aki had been waiting for ages, but every time she found someone she could trap in the gallery, they fled from her, calling her numerous names such as "monster" and "witch". Aki knew that if she were to escape the gallery, she would have to trap someone here, and have them killed. Otherwise she wouldn't be able to leave.

_Your heart is Fabricated..._

The words rang in her head. She had first heard them as she'd followed Misao into the blackness, but she didn't know how strong their meaning was.

_Your heart is Fabricated... ...I can't believe it...I'm really stuck in here._

Mary awoke to the sounds of birds cheerfully chirping . It had been a while since she had finally escaped the gallery, and she felt no guilt, no remorse, no nothing for what had happened.

_I wonder what's going to happen today?_

Mary loved being outside, breathing in the fresh air which had for so long been unreachable for her. She ran outside without any shoes on, feeling the cool grass beneath her feet.

Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sound. It came from beneath her, and it sounded like the roaring of a monster. It was like the whole world was being split in half by a giant knife.

Almost straight after that, the ground opened up; a huge black crater that stretched back to the front door of the house. Before she really knew what was happening, Mary was falling, falling, falling. It seemed like she would never hit the floor. When she did, it wasn't solid ground that she hit. It was water. And she continued falling, past sea monsters that looked vaguely familiar. At that point, the world turned black.

Mary awoke in a blue hallway. _What..? Is this...the gallery?!_


	2. A Black Rose

Leah sat on her own in her room, as usual. Her parents hadn't yet come home from...whatever they were doing. It wasn't worrying her though; this happened a lot.

The house was completely silent except for the ticking of the large grandfather clock. It was very loud and Leah could still hear it from her room, even though it was a whole floor away.

The house was silent, so perhaps that was why.

Nothing happened for quite a while. Leah just sat on her bed and stared into space, thinking.

Suddenly, a pair of hands came out of a painting behind her. Leah didn't scream, though she felt a jolt of shock run up her spine.

_What's going on...? Where did these hands come from?_

The hands that had been squeezing her shoulders seemed to disappear, and she was falling. She fell a long, long way, and at one point it seemed she was tumbling through water.

Leah landed on a cold blue floor. She grunted, got to her feet, and took a look around. To the left there was a door. She pulled on the handle, but it was locked.

_Guess I'll have to find a key..._

To the right was another door, but there was a table blocking it. In the vase was a bunch of four roses.

The roses were all different colours: yellow, red, lilac and black.

_Why are those roses there? What do they mean?_

Before she could figure it out, Leah heard a thud behind her, back where the entrance was.

She rushed back and saw a girl lying face-first on the floor.

"Hello?" Leah said cautiously, stepping a little closer.

"Wh-what?" the girl murmured.

She sat up properly, and looked around, dazed.

"I-I'm...what...?! H-how did I get h-here?!" the girl gasped, her big blue eyes darting around, searching the area.

"Um...hi...I'm Leah," Leah said, pushing her red-brown hair behind her ear.

"Leah...? That's a pretty name. I'm Mary!" the girl-Mary-stood up and smiled at Leah. Her smile faded as she glanced around more. "Oh...I'm back here...again..."

"What do you mean by...here?" Leah tipped her head to the side.

"It's kinda hard to explain...I was here once before...then I escaped. It looks like I've been brought back though...I don't know how. I thought..."

"So...this place...what is it?"

"It's a gallery! Well...a 'haunted' gallery. Paintings by Guertena are here, and they live in this place! Cool, right? He's a really good artist!" Mary giggled.

"You mean was," Leah corrected. "He's dead now."

Mary stopped and stared at her. "He's not dead, silly! He's out in the real world! He just left this place so he could live his life!"

"No, he's definitely dead, I'm a hundred percent sure of it."

Before Mary could argue back, Leah spun on her heel and moved back towards the roses. "Anyway, if you've been to this...'gallery' before, do you know what these roses are for?"

Mary plodded along behind her, looking a little sad and disappointed. "Yeah, they're pretty much your life in this place. If a petal falls off, that means you've been injured somewhere. If all the petals are gone, then you're dead."

"So how will I know which one's mine?" Leah asked.

"Well...I know mine's yellow...Hey!" Mary exclaimed, pointing at the red and lilac roses. "I've seen those two roses before! Ib must be here! And Ellen!" Mary's face lit up again, a big smile stretched across her face.

Ib? Ellen? Who're they?

"Are they friends of yours?"

"Yeah!" Mary replied. "We were all here together last time, and it looks like those two were also dragged back down here!"

Leah blinked. _So Ib and Ellen each have a lilac rose and a red rose...Mary's rose is yellow, so mine must be the black one._

As she reached for the black rose, Leah felt the air turn cold. Suddenly, on the wall, writing appeared. It was in blue paint.

'Come' was all it said.

Leah shivered and grabbed the rose.

Almost instantly, Mary moved the table aside and opened the door. Inside was a small blue room. A painting of a woman with long teal hair was stuck to the far wall.

Blonde hair whipped past Leah, and Mary stooped to pick up something on the ground.

Leah noticed the painting change a little.

_...Strange..._

Aki sat in a chair, bored. Mary and the other girl weren't doing much, just standing around talking.

_Come on, do something! _She thought impatiently, then stopped. _No, I can't force them to do anything. That wouldn't be right. I can't make the same mistakes Misao and Mary made._

Sighing, Aki got to her feet. _I don't know what to do now...I didn't want to bring them down here, but I had no choice. And Ib and Ellen have already gone ahead, but they're both in different areas. That other girl...Leah, I think her name is-and Mary are lucky to be together._

She cast her mind to a bird's eye view of the gallery. In on of the entrances, Mary and Leah were examining the roses, Leah looked bored and Mary excited.

In another area, the blood room, Ellen had her hand on the wall and was abviously searching for her rose.

Ib was in a dark corridor. She looked at ease, and Aki wondered if she had been there before as she let one of the hands pop out of the wall and grab her, dragging her into the pale green room.

_I'm so sorry, everyone...I really am...but I have to get out of here. I have to get out and find out what happened to everyone. I can't leave them to suffer Misao's curse without me._

Before Aki had been captured by Mary, her class at school had spread rumours about Misao cursing the school, as she had gone missing a while before. Aki had heard about someone going to the bathroom, and not coming back. And she herself had thought she'd heard the giggle of a little girl one day as she was rushing to class.

_Misao must have cursed the school...Mary would've tricked her into killing herself so she could stay as a painting down in this gallery. _

Aki gave another small sigh and leaned against the wall. _At least Viola and Ellen can be together again. Where is Viola, though? Oh, she could be anywhere._

Straightening up, Aki went to search for the other 'girl'.

_I'm sorry..._


	3. Lost

Ellen stared confusedly around the blood room.

_Why am I here again? And where's my rose?!_

It seemed there was no exit from the room, and the walls were starting to make her feel queasy.

_I need my rose...! There has to be a way out of here!_

Ellen furrowed her brows and stared thoughtfully at the wall.

_Can I use my magic to find an exit?_

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then the exit came to her. It was next to a table (which had once held a vase and a diary) on the far side of the room.

The witch smiled to herself and crossed the room, pressing her hand on the part of the wall the door was and pushed.

It swung open, leading her to a blue room with a painting of a woman with long teal hair.

_I've never been here before...I wonder where it leads?_

Ellen exited the room and came to a long, dark hallway. To the right was, thankfully, a vase with a red rose and a lilac rose.

_Finally, my rose! And Ib's...she must be here, too!_

Ellen grabbed her and Ib's rose and turned to look down the hallway.

She couldn't believe her eyes. At the end of it was..

_Mary! _

There was also another girl, but Ellen didn't recognize her.

"Mary!" she yelled, rushing towards the bewildered girl.

Though Mary had trapped them in the Fabricated World last time, she had escaped, taking Viola's place. Ellen still felt a little resentment towards the ex-painting, but then, Viola had chosen to stay behind. That wasn't Mary's fault.

"Um...Mary...who's this?" said the other girl, staring at Ellen with deep amber eyes.

"I'm Ellen," said Ellen, smiling politely and holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you!"

The other girl hesitantly studied Ellen's hand, as if it were going to jump up and bite her. "I'm Leah..." she said eventually, smiling back.

"So you were trapped here too?" Mary blinked at Ellen. "I thought...I thought it was only us two! But there were the other two roses in the vase..."

"Ib's here too," Ellen told them. "Perhaps...Aya and Madotsuki...are here too? I haven't seen their roses, though..."

Mary stared at her yellow rose. "Hey...Leah...?"

"Yes?"

"Um...how'd you get here?"

"I was dragged by...something...down through a painting behind my bed. After that, I landed in this hallway."

Ellen tilted her head to the side. "I fell through a large split in the ground..."

"Me too! It must have been the same one...I wonder what happened after we fell? Will people miss us?" Mary sounded worried.

"No," Ellen replied. "Time up there is slower than it is down here. It can only have been a minute or so, I don't know. And we're the only ones who know about the split. No one else can see it."

Leah stared at her, mystified. "Really? Time down here is faster than it is up there? I wonder how that works?"

Ellen blinked. _Leah doesn't seem too shocked by the fact that we're stuck in a haunted art gallery._

"Ellen!" the girl yelled. "Ellen, I know you're here! Please, where are you?"

She sounded desperate, her pretty green eyes filling with despair as she got more and more lost in her own place.

Finally, she collapsed and started sobbing. "Where am I? Why has this happened? Mary! Ellen!"

I watched as the girl buried her head in her arms. _She's a painting too now...so why is she lost? Why is she sad? She has all of us with her._

I crawled down from the wall and made my way over to her. "What's wrong, honey?" I asked.

"I-I'm lost here! I know it sounds stupid...because I'm a painting and all...but...I've never been here before and...and...I'm looking for my...friend...!"

I smiled sympathetically. "It's alright, dear. You're only lost because you've taken the long way! Just go through that door over there-" I indicated a door with dark red paint on it. "and you'll be able to access the main entrance to the gallery."

The girl stopped crying and stood up, looking down at me. "Thank you," she sniffled. "I thought...I thought no one would help me..." she took a few hesitant steps towards the door. "That's the blood room, isn't it?"

"Yes," I said.

The painting-girl turned and stepped through the doorway.

_I wonder what will become of her now? _I thought, grinning.


	4. The Field Trip

"Heeey! Wait for me!" Ayaka called, waving after Aki, who was already getting on the bus. "We have to sit near Mr Sohta, Aki!"

Aki snorted, smiled and stood to the side as she waited for her friend.

"Ugh, could you be any slower?!" Yoshino complained from behind Ayaka.

Ayaka ignored her and caught up to Aki, patiently waiting at the door to the bus.

"C'mon, we gotta get a good seat!" Ayaka dragged Aki around to sit behind Mr Sohta, who was up at the front of the school bus.

Saotome and Tohma walked past, holding hands, and sat at the very back of the bus with Kudoh. Yoshino stomped along behind them, looking a little fed up.

"Hey Aki, what d'you think we're gonna see at the art gallery?!" Ayaka said excitedly, turning to face her best friend.

"Uh...I dunno, maybe art?" Aki raied her eyebrows, but giggled.

Just then, the bus started up. In front of the two girls, Mr Sohta was sitting quietly, thinking. He didn't notice (or care) that Ayaka was sitting a seat away from him, much to Ayaka's disappointment.

_Aw man! Why won't Mr Sohta notice me? Is it my hands? Are they not clean enough?!_

Ayaka pulled some hand cream out of her school bag.

"What are you doing?" Aki questioned.

"Gotta use some hand cream so Mr Sohta will notice me! Doo-doot-doo..."

Ayaka's voice trailed off and she and Aki spent most of the journey in silence.

Suddenly-

"So, what're you two up to?"

Yoshino's head appeared over the 'empty' seat behind Ayaka and Aki's.

"I thought you were sitting up the back with Tohma and Otome, Yoshino," Aki said, not turning around.

"I got bored of those lovebirds! I thought I'd pay you two a visit!"

"Hey, Yoshino, who d'you like?" Ayaka said immediately.

"Huh?! Me?!" Yoshino said indignantly. "No one! I don't like anyone in this class! They're all a bunch of looosers!"

"What about Tohma?" Aki smiled to herself.

"Tohma? You kiddin' me? He wishes!"

Ayaka giggled. "How about Kudoh?!"

"Nooo waaaay!" Yoshino furrowed her brows and turned away. "You guys are booooring! See ya!"

And with that, she slid back down her seat and moved towards her gang of friends.

"Phew!" Aki exclaimed. "That got rid of her!"

"Yeah! I'm not scared of that witch!"

"She bullied Misao a lot..." Aki sighed.

"Yeah...I wonder where Misao is now..."

_Hopefully in a nice place... _Ayaka thought.

They arrived at the art gallery soon after. Mr Sohta called the class together briefly, then let them go off and explore.

"Pfft! How old does he think we are, five?!" Yoshino snorted as she and her gang of girls turned right.

Aki and Ayaka were soon left standing at the front desk.

"Let's go up those stairs," Aki decided.

"I wanna find Mr Sohta!" Ayaka sighed, drifting away to the right.

"Okay then, suit yourself!" Aki called after her, heading up the stairs.

Of course, Aki didn't know how long it would be before she saw her best friend again.

A petal flew off the bright red rose. Ib staggered, but managed to stay standing. She was back in the room where she had first met Viola and Ellen. It was also one of the two ways to get to the red space.

_Last time Mary made the door appear after she blew the room up...but what if it was always there?_

Ib pressed her hand against the wall, where she was sure the door was. It didn't budge.

_Maybe it's somewhere else...? But where? It could take ages for me to find it!_

Ib sighed and leaned against another part of the wall. Suddenly, it shifted under her weight and she fell through the door into the next room.

"Yah!"

"Wh-what?!"

Ib found herself staring up at the faces of two girls. One of them had pinkish hair and was glaring down at her. The other had large amber eyes and wore a kinder expression.

"Who're you?!" the pink-haired girl demanded, as the other girl helped Ib to her feet.

"I'm Ib," Ib said. "what about you?"

"I'm Saotome and this is Yoshino," the girl with amber eyes said. She had long blonde hair tied into a ponytail.

"When did you guys end up in the gallery?"

"The gallery? You mean _this _place?" Yoshino snorted. "Well we were at school, as usual, when suddenly the lights in our dorm room went out. Saotome and I tripped and fell. We thought we were falling out of a window, but it turns out it was a painting! Spoooky!"

Ib glanced at their school uniforms. Yoshino's didn't look much like a uniform anymore. It looked as if she had customized it as much as possible. But Saotome's uniform looked a little familiar...

"Do you two know Aki?" Ib inquired.

"A-Aki?" Saotome repeated. "She's the...she was...in our class...but she and Misao went missing..."

"How do _you_ know her?!" Yoshino demanded.

"Aki? Oh, last time I was here I-"

"You were trapped here before?" Yoshino interrupted.

"Yeah, I was. Anyway, I was trapped here before with Aki and a few other people. Aki died here, so she became a painting. That why she went missing. Misao was a painting too, but..."

"Wait...Misao?! She's here? When I find her I'll-"

"But...?" Saotome interrupted Yoshino.

"Uh...she...she's dead. We had to burn her painting. She was going to kill us." Ib stared up at them.

"Huh! Misao?! Tried to kill you and Aki?! That doesn't seem like her at all!" Yoshino's eyes gleamed.

"Yeah..." Ib decided she didn't like Yoshino very much. "Wait, do you two have roses?"

"Roses?" Yoshino raised an eyebrow. "What do we need a damn _flower_ for?!"

"Roses are your form of a health bar down here. The more petals you lose, the more you get injured. See, I started off with five petals on my rose, now I have four. I got injured on my way here."

"I wondered why the heck you were carrying that thing around..."

"So...we need roses..." Saotome murmured thoughtfully. "Well...we did see a vase back there. There were two roses in it, so those must be ours!"

"Back there? You mean we have to get past that painting thing again?!" Yoshino complained.

"Well we do need our roses. Also, we have to find Tohma, Kudoh and Ayaka. Who knows where they could be?" Saotome sounded worried.

"Pssh! You're only worried because of _Tohma!_"Yoshino scoffed.

Ib moved ahead of them. She hadn't noticed, but they were standing in front of a painting called "Heartbeat". It kept making a strange sound.

They ran to the red door. Ib thought she caught a glimpse of the Lady in Red appearing, but then Yoshino pushed her through the door and slammed it shut.

"Phew! Now let's get those roses!"

The three of them moved through the room silently, then ended up in the red corridor that stretched both left and right.

The light blue vase was sitting on the table, as Ib had suspected. In the vase was a peach rose and a pink rose.

"Looking at this rose..." Saotome stared at the pretty pink flower. "I feel a strange attachment," she gently pulled it out of the vase and admired it. "It must be my one."

"So the peach-coloured one is mine!" Yoshino exclaimed, making a grab for the rose. In doing so, she knocked off one of the delicate petals and it fluttered to the ground. Yoshino jumped a little. "Yeowch! What the hell?!"

"You knocked a petal off your rose, Yoshino. Be careful with it!" Saotome warned.

"I knooow!" Yoshino rolled her eyes.

Ib stared at them worredly. _Will they really be okay?_


	5. Escape

"We should split up. It'll be faster that way."

"Yes, let's do that."

"I'll go with Ellen!"

"Okay. You two go into that...blood room...? Over there. I'll go past the room with the 'Ladies' paintings you two described."

"We'll meet in the Indigo Area?"

"Okay. Be careful, Ellen."

"We'll be fine! I used to live here, so I know my way around!"

"Good luck, Leah."

"You too."

"... ...Saotome, can you help me move this statue?" Yoshino panted.

"Well...I'm not very good at moving things, so-"

"Shut up and help! It's better than nothin'!"

"...Fine..." Saotome agreed.

Together, they managed to move the heavy statue out of the way.

"Ib, we did it!" Yoshino called.

No reply.

"Ib?!"

Silence.

"Where is she?!" Saotome sounded worried.

"I dunno! She must be back by the vase!"

They rushed back to the vase, but only found a red rose lying on the floor. Saotome picked it up carefully.

"This is...her rose...isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Yoshino stared at it, wide-eyed. "She must've been kidnapped or somethin'!"

"Wait a second..." Saotome murmured thoughtfully. "This doesn't feel like out roses...it feels...like...one of those fake flowers! Ib definitely had her real rose with her, so this one must be a fake!"

"Or maybe," added Yoshino. "she's been carrying this fake rose the whole time, and it wasn't real! Man, this is sooo spooky!"

Saotome placed the rose next to the blue vase and sighed. _What happened to Ib's real rose? Was the rose she was carrying even real? If so, where is it? And where did Ib go?!_

"We have to find her!" Saotome said urgently.

"Let's go that way! We haven't been there before!" Yoshino opened the door to the left of the vase.

The two of them wandered into the next room, keeping a look out for any other moving paintings. They found a picture of a 'Lady in Blue', but it didn't budge.

"Whew! I thought we'd have to run from one of them again!" Yoshino sighed.

"Hey...what's that over there?" Saotome ignored Yoshino and glanced back towards the door. It was a staircase, and it looked like it lead quite a way away from the gallery.

"Let's go up it! It might be our chance to escape!"

"But...we have to find Ib..." Saotome looked torn between saving Ib and possibly escaping the gallery.

"Oh come on! She's been here before, right? Twice? So she must be capable of lookin' after herself, right?!"

"I suppose...Her rose should be safe in that vase..."

_But if it's fake then how did it lose a petal?_

Yoshino and Saotome steadily made their way up the staircase. At the top was what looked like an empty art gallery, but the lights were dimmed.

_This...is still part of the haunted gallery, right? It looks a little different...and more...empty..._

'Hey! This is the gallery we visited as a class!" Yoshino exclaimed.

"I feel strange...as if...I'll never see the outside world again..." Saotome whispered.

When she turned around, the staircase back down had disappeared.

"I have a bad feeling...what's going on? Where are we?!" she started to panic.

"Saotome, calm down! I'll get us outta here, and we'll find Ib! So shut up and help me look for a way out!"

"There is no way out."

A voice sounded from behind them. Saotome looked up hopefully at the familiar voice.

"Aki?!" Yoshino yelled. "You're here?! Ib told us you were here...but...!"

Aki smiled at her former classmates. Even if Yoshino wasn't her favourite person on Earth, she was still glad to see them.

Saotome smiled back. "Can you help us find a way out of this place?"

"I already told you," Aki shrugged. "there's no way out. True, there is the painting on the second floor...but that...is a little wrecked."

Yoshino stared at Aki. "The second floor?! We gotta go there, Otome! C'mon!"

Saotome glanced at Aki. "Are you...stuck here?" she asked delicately.

Aki nodded. "Yes. But listen, don't go that way! It's not gonna-"

But Yoshino was already dragging Saotome up the stairs.

"Yoshino, stop it! Wait, we can't go this way!" Saotome tried to pull out of Yoshino's grip. "Didn't you hear what Aki said? It's too dangerous!"

"I don't care, Otome!" Yoshino yelled. She raced for the painting, letting go of Saotome's arm.

She skidded to a halt in front of a huge painting. "This must be the way out." she muttered.

Just as Yoshino was climbing into the painting, Saotome leaped forwards and landed beside her.

Yoshino tripped, and fell out of the painting.

"Otome! What the hell're you doin'?!"

"We're staying away from this painting, okay? Now let's get back to the entrance and look for that staircase. We need to find Ib!" Saotome stood up and tried to get down from the painting.

But it was like there was a glass barrier in the way of her and the rest of the gallery.

"Wh-what?!" she cried. "Yoshino...what's going on?!"

"I-I dunno!" Yoshino backed away from the painting, looking scared.

_What is this? Why am I stuck here?!_

Suddenly, Saotome's vision began to fade. "Y-Yoshino! Where are you?! I-I can't see anything! Help!"

"Saotome! I can't see you, I can't see the painting! Where are you?!" Yoshino yelled, as she tried to step forward. She tripped and fell over.

"Nooo!" Saotome cried desperately. "I-I don't want to die! I'm not ready! Help me! _Yoshino! Tohma! Aki!"_

Then everything faded away. Saotome was left all alone in the blackness. She tried to move forward, but pain shot through her body. Her pink rose withered away to nothing, and she lay, defeated, on the ground.

_So yet another one is lost? I wonder who is next? Perhaps it will be the youngest one...the one with the red rose. Yes...it has been decided. Ib shall be next. We will not concentrate on anything else until she is one of us._


	6. Red Rose

I remember looking in a mirror not too long ago. There was a pair of emerald irises, but they were not alone. They were accompanied by the rest of my reflection, of course. The eyes stayed completely still, not blinking once. They were staring directly at me...no one else, just me.

On the other side of this gap was a reflection. My reflection.

My golden-blonde hair was split into two braids, hanging just below my shoulders. I lifted my hand, smiling, and touched my cheek. At that moment I knew I was alive. I was alive, I was real, I was there.

But then...

As I looked in this mirror...I saw nothing. It was as if my reflection had never existed. I wasn't real. I wasn't alive. I was deprived of the sensation we all know as 'life'.

I turned away from the mirror, disappointed. I had so wanted to see my green eyes sparkle with life, my blonde hair lit golden by the sun...Even if there was no sun down here...

But...that would never happen now. Unless I escaped...but how? How could I escape this place full of terror and death? It was impossible...there was no way...

Unless...I killed someone. Then I would be able to escape. But...no...I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'd just have to wait here until..._until when? _

I regretted it. I regretted staying behind so Mary could escape. I nearly cried right then, but knew it wouldn't help. I regretted it with all my heart. I wanted to see Ellen. I wanted to see father. I wanted to escape this horrible place. But it was too late. I couldn't go back now.

_You can't turn back now._

I knew what would happen, so why did I do it? Why? Why...

"Saotome! Saotome, what happened? Where are you?!"

Yoshino walked through the dark, empty gallery, calling for her friend over and over.

"What the heck happened? Saotome!"

But no one replied, and no one heard her.

"Aki!" Yoshino yelled. "Aki, where are you?! We need to find Saotome!"

She didn't notice the girl standing behind her, raising her crowbar.

"Aki! Saotome! Come on, quit jokin' around! This is serious!"

The girl raised the crowbar above her head.

Yoshino turned around and saw her standing there. "H-huh?"

Just then, the other girl brought the crowbar down over her head.

"Y-YAAAAAAAHH-"

Yoshino collapsed. She was dead, there was no doubt about that. The other girl smiled and pushed a lock of grey-white hair away from her face.

"Wake up! Ib, wake up!"

"Hello? Ib?!"

"It's no use. She won't wake up."

"Don't say that, Leah! Of course she will. Right, Ellen?!"

"..."

Ib heard the vaguely familiar voices, but couldn't quite put names to them.

"Ib! Please wake up!"

"Uh...M-Mary?" She finally spoke up, opening her eyes a little. Three girls were staring down at her, one of them being Mary.

"Ib! We all thought you were dead!" Came another familiar voice.

"Ellen?" Ib croaked, sitting up.

She faced the other girls. Another was Ellen, but the third girl was one Ib didn't recognize.

"I'm Leah," she held out her hand to help Ib up. "It's nice to meet you."

"Where...am I?" Ib whispered, holding her head.

"You're in the small room where the painting of your parents is." Ellen replied. "We were here last time, remember?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Ib, have you rested well enough?" Mary said excitedly. "Then we can all get going again!"

"Um...I think so. I'm just a little confused...Do you have my rose?"

Ellen blinked. "Yeah. We used the vase. I think that's what helped you wake up."

"..." Ib stared down at the ground.

"Well, here you go, take it anyway!" Mary thrusted the rose into Ib's hands.

Ib took it gratefully and studied it for a second. It glowed softly in her hand...but it didn't feel...like the one she had been holding before.

"Where did you find this?" She asked

"In the vase back in the blue area," Leah replied. "why?"

"I had my rose the whole time though...so..." Ib stared and stared at the rose. "This one must be the right rose, though. Maybe the other one I had was a fake...But how? A petal fell off it when I was injured..."

"Maybe It was someone else's? Someone could have the same colour rose as yours." Leah suggested.

"Ellen, can I borrow your rose for a second?" Ib asked.

"Sure..." Ellen frowned but handed her rose over.

"It feels...like plastic...almost like those fake flowers bought in shops," Ib described. " Yeah...The rose I had before belonged to someone else! That's it! Whenever you hold a rose that doesn't belong to you, it'll feel like plastic. The red rose I had before will belong to some other person who's been trapped down here."

_But who?_

I picked up the bright red rose that lay on the ground. It was fully intact, so...

_It can't have belonged to that girl._

It glowed in my hand as I held it. This rose was definitely mine, I was sure of it.

The crowbar I was holding clattered to the ground beside me.

_I don't have the same rose as her this time...because she's not here._

I picked up the crowbar and headed for the dark gallery. The 'Fabricated World' painting was the only way to escape this place.

As I reached the front desk I heard a girl's voice.

"Saotome! Saotome, what happened? Where are you?!"

I felt something inside my body stir, and the next thing I knew, everything was black.

I don't know what happened during the time I passed out. All I knew was that...that thing had taken over my body again.

And it had killed someone.

I shook my head and dropped the crowbar, crouching by the girl's body. She wasn't breathing.

_No! Not again! This wasn't supposed to happen! I may have killed that other girl, and now this one's definitely dead!_

I put my hands on either side of my head.

_Why is this happening to me...Stop..._

I dropped the rose as well. It lost a petal as it hit the ground. A sharp pain ran through my body.

"Ow!" I let out a gasp.

"H-hello?"

A voice echoed through the darkness. A girl with golden braids appeared, walking towards me from the 'Fabricated World' painting. She stopped next to a painting of what looked like a cat.

"Sabitsuki?" she whispered.


	7. Wilting Rose

_Dead...?_

_Who's dead?_

_S-Saotome, you say? And Yoshino?! Wh-why? What killed them?!_

_No...Sabitsuki? You're sure?_

_..._

_She wouldn't..._

_W-would she?_

Dead. She was dead. I checked over and over, hoping to hear her heartbeat, feel her pulse.

But...

Nothing.

The girl Rust had attacked was dead. I didn't even know her name, where she came from, anything! All I knew about her was that she was dead.

That goddamn Rust...taking over my body...I was so scared. It could happen at any time. And I wouldn't even be conscious of it. I would just wake up in a different area than before and not realize what had happened.

I guess it's like being so drunk you black out. Not that I'd ever been drunk before...

"I...I'm sorry..." I whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you from her..."

"H-hello? Sabitsuki?" Came a voice from the darkness.

I blinked and turned around. A girl with golden braids was standing near a picture of what looked like a cat.

"V-Viola...?" I remembered her from the last time I was here.

I'd never really escaped, though: Rust had made sure of that.

"What...happened?" I could see she didn't know what to say. It was obvious I was the culprit.

"You...did this?" She whispered, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"No!" My reply came out quicker than I expected. "I-I mean...yes...well...It's hard to explain..." I struggled to find the right words. "You see...I'm sort of...possessed...by a thing I call 'Rust'. It takes over my body at random times...and...well...this is the result..." I indicated the pink-haired girl's body.

Viola stared at me, unmoving, unblinking. _Does she believe me?_

"Sabitsuki..." She turned and walked away.

"Viola...wait!" I called.

She didn't turn around.

_"Help me..."_

Aki stared at the spot where Saotome and Yoshino had disappeared.

_I couldn't help them escape...but maybe I was a little too hard on them._

She stayed still for a while, thinking, when suddenly a loud scream startled her out of her daydreams.

"Yoshino?!" She called. "Is that you?!"

There was no reply.

"Yoshino! I'm coming!" She yelled, racing up the stairs.

She bolted past the 'Fabricated World' painting, then skidded to a halt when she saw what had happened.

Yoshino lay face-first on the ground, a small pool of blood around her neck. She had been struck in the back of her head.

No one else was around, but Aki thought she heard two sets of footsteps fleeing the scene.

"Wh-who did this?" She muttered, crouching down. "How could this happen...?" Aki stood up again. I have to escape.

_"Aki...help..."_

"Huh? Saotome?" She glanced over her shoulder. The voice had definitely come from around the 'Fabricated World' painting.

"Hurry, Aki..."

"If I can't save Yoshino...then I'll definitely save Saotome!" Aki said determinedly.

She stood in front of the 'Fabricated World' painting, took a deep breath, then climbed through.

_I hope I'm making the right choice..._

Aki found herself in the main art gallery. _Did I...make it out? Is Saotome here? Then why was she calling for help...?_

She looked around. It didn't feel like the main gallery, there were no people around...and the painting looked different.

It was too quiet to be the real world.

_Saotome must be trapped in this...half-world..._

Aki wandered around the gallery, calling her friend's name over and over, but to no avail.

She eventually reached the 'Abyss of the Deep' painting. She headed down from there, and came across a large rose sculpture. It was grey, and some of the 'petals' lay on the ground.

_Huh...it looks like my rose...not that I need one any more._

Aki continued searching for her friend, but found no one. _So where did Saotome go, then? _She eventually decided to try the front door.

"I hope this works..." She murmured nervously.

The door wouldn't open.

"Huh? Oh well..." Aki sighed and turned away. _I guess I'll have to go back. I'm so sorry, Saotome..._

Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out.

"What?"

She spotted writing appearing on a pamphlet that lay on the front desk. It read:

**Bad girl...Bad girl...**

**You know who you are...**

Aki stepped away from the pamphlet, panicking slightly.. "I...I'm trying to save my friend, not escape the gallery! I'm not stupid, I know this isn't the way out! The amount of people who escaped into the real world last time by using that painting...made it unstable! Even if I wasn't a painting, I wouldn't be able to escape! So shut up, I need to find my friend!"

She quickened her pace and headed back to the 'Abyss of the Deep' painting_. If Saotome tried to escape through the painting, she'll be here somewhere...I'm sure of it._

There was more writing covering a 'welcome to the Guertena exhibition' sign.

**No going back**

**No going anywhere**

"S-stop it! I didn't do anything wrong!" Aki snapped, glaring at the writing as if it were a person.

She raced down back towards the rose sculpture. Red writing covered the name plate, and the flower looked like it was wilting.

_Oh no..._

**Your heart is fabricated...**

"Stop this..." Aki whispered. "I just want to find Saotome and get out of here...! I'll find another way to get out of here!"

As she headed towards a painting of a boy, blue writing appeared.

**This isn't where you belong...**

Aki's thoughts were whirling around her brain. She could only think properly for a few seconds, her heart was beating so quickly and loudly, she felt it might burst out of her chest. She almost laughed at the thought of her heart falling out onto the floor.

As she rounded the corner, she noticed blue ink dripping from the ceiling.

"Go away!" She yelled.

She stopped and stared at a large mass of black ink that stained the floor.

"I haven't done anything wrong!" She protested, though she knew no one would hear.

Blue writing appeared on the wall again.

**Come back, I'm lonely...**

**Everyone's waiting for you...**

"No one's waiting for me! I'm all alone in that place, which is why I have to escape!" Aki's eyes were wide with fear.

She ran back to the 'Abyss of the Deep' painting. The world was getting darker around her as she ran back down to the rose sculpture.

But...

The rose sculpture had almost entirely withered, the walls were stained black with ink...and there seemed to be a trail that lead back around to the ink puddle.

Aki turned and fled, racing up the stairs to the second floor. She looked out the window. It was completely red outside. _Help...me..._

The world was still fading. It was so dark as Aki ran to the 'Fabricated World' painting. But just as she reached it, darkness slammed over her vision.

"N-no! I can't see a thing!" She cried. "Where's Saotome, where's Viola? Where's Misao?! I-I can't find anyone! Help!"

She sniffed. "Guys...where are you? I'm lonely...help me..."

_It's so dark...I...Saotome...where did you go? Why did you lead me here? A-am I going to die?! This shouldn't have happened; if Yoshino's dead, then why can't I escape?!_

"Somebody..."

Aki suddenly felt someone's hand on her shoulder. "Aki...it's alright...I'm here with you, you'll be okay from now on..."

Aki knew that familiar voice."...Misao...!" She exclaimed.


	8. For my Friends

"Viola!" Sabitsuki called, hurrying after the golden-haired girl. "Wait up, I'm telling the truth!"

Viola kept running. She didn't slow down, not for a second.

_Is she scared I'm gonna kill her? Viola!_

Sabitsuki skidded to a halt. "I...I...Please believe me..." She whispered.

She didn't hear any reply. _Don't be stupid...of course she didn't hear you..._

Suddenly-

"I...I'll believe you, Sabitsuki. It's alright...I don't blame you."

But right before Sabitsuki could reply, blackness washed over her vision.

"Sabitsuki! Wh-what's wrong?"

Right before she passed out, one thought ran through her mind:

_Viola came back._

"Aki..." Misao whispered. "It's okay. You'll be safe, I'll save you."

Aki took a deep breath and smiled at her old friend. "Misao...it's so good to see you again...I'm sorry I...couldn't save you."

"It's fine," the black-haired girl smiled back. "It was my own fault for letting that gallery and Mary get the better of me. You had no choice."

"Misao..." Aki wrapped her arms around her friend's neck and held her close. "I've missed you so much...w-will you be able to come back with me?"

Misao hesitated, then shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. But...I...I'm not afraid of being alone anymore. And...if I find Saotome, I'll bring her back." She linked her pinky finger with Aki's. "It's a promise."

A bright light suddenly filled Aki's vision, and Misao and the dark area disappeared. Aki woke up back in the world of Guertena.

She found she was lying next to a man with purple hair.

"Huh?" He gasped. "Wh-what?! Where'd you come from?! YAHHHH!" He fell backwards, landing on his dark grey coat.

"Hey you...are you...Garry?" Aki asked, ignoring his response to her sudden appearance. "A girl named Ib told me about you...or...at least...someone who looks like you."

The man straightened up. "Y-yes...but...wait...you know Ib?" Confusion and fear filled his blue-ish gaze.

"It's okay," Aki smiled. "I won't hurt you. I might be a painting, but I'm not like Mary was."

"Y-you're a painting? You know Ib? A-and Mary?!"

"Yeah, I do..." She got to her feet. "And I need to find them; I'm helping them escape. You're coming with me, okay?"

"Wh-why?" He stammered.

Aki sighed. "I'm not going to leave anyone on their own. I refuse to put anyone else's lives in danger...not like I did by bringing them here..."

Garry stood up too, picking up his coat and putting it on. "You're definitely not going to hurt me?" He stared uneasily at her.

"I promise. That's one promise I can definitely keep." Aki turned and began to walk away. "Now, are you coming or what?"

"Leah! Look out!" Mary yelled, backing away from the red-haired girl.

Rust grinned and raised the crowbar above her head. Leah whipped around just as the crowbar was swung down towards her.

"LEAH! ...N-no!" Viola yelled, putting her hands on either side of her head.

Leah let out a small gasp as she slid down and landed with a thud at Rust's feet.

"Leah!" Mary backed away from the body. "C-c'mon! Get up, you'll be fine, right?! You said we'd escape together, you said we'd find our way back!" _This can't be happening..._

"N-no..." Leah coughed, lifting her head slightly and glancing up at Mary. "I-I...ca...n't...I...I'm...s-sorry...M-Mary..." she slumped back to the ground, defeated.

"L-Leah...?" A voice came from the spot where Rust stood. "What happened...?! Was it...did...Rust do this?!"

"Y-yes..." Viola sniffed. "That...thing...you told me about...Sabitsuki...I...it's not your fault, it's mine! You ran from me...but I...wasn't fast enough to catch you! I guess you ran off in a different direction...because I ended up here..."

"Sabi...why?" Mary stared up at the grey-haired girl, her blue eyes stretched wide with horror.

"I-I'm sorry..." Sabitsuki whispered. "I...Leah..."

Ellen and Ib suddenly appeared behind Mary. "Wh-what's going on?" Ib gasped when she saw Leah's body. "L-Leah...no...It can't be..."

"Ellen!" Viola shouted, dashing towards her best friend. "I-I...I've missed you so much!" Tears poured down her face. It was too much for her to handle.

"Viola..." Ellen looked overwhelmed, but even so, she hugged Viola back, smiling gently. "...It's great to see you, too."

Mary clenched her fists as she started sobbing. "Leah...why...?"

Sabitsuki turned and walked away. "I think it's best if I leave..." She whispered as she turned the corner, away from the unmoving, headless statues and the violet area.

Ib stared after Sabitsuki, her heart racing. Mary came up to stand beside her. "Ib...promise me you won't die?"

"I promise..." Ib murmured.

"G-guys..." Came a voice from where Sabitsuki had stood moments before. "What happened? I...thought I just saw...Sabitsuki...?"

"Aki!" Viola cried. "W-where have you been?"

"I...I found...another person..." She whispered, her eyes round as she stared at Leah. "I...don't know how he got here, but he's here and real. His name...Ib, you must know him. It's Garry."

He stood next to Aki, looking quite serious, but friendly at the same time. Mary gasped. "That...that's...so weird! I...never thought I'd see you again, Garry!"

He frowned. "Mary? Are you still alive? I thought I burned you!"

"Well...I lived," Mary glared at him. "no thanks to you, though. But I'm not a painting anymore! I'm human now, thanks to Viola!" _I wish I could be as brave as her..._

Viola smiled. "We'll help you escape the World of Guertena. Everyone, from now on, will live. I'm sure of it!"

Garry relaxed. "so...you don't want to hurt anyone anymore, Mary?"

"N-no..." Mary stared at the ground, looking a little ashamed. "I'm sorry for what I did." _Please believe me..._

"It's okay," Ib smiled. "I understand. We'll be together from now on, Mary. I'm sure of it! And we found Garry again, so it's us three, together, forever!" She took Garry's hand in her own and held out her free hand. "We'll stay together. You're forgiven, Mary, and we'll all live happily in the real world, okay?"

"W-wait," Mary was still staring at the ground. She didn't take Ib's hand. _We can't all escape...yet. _"Viola...Aki...you really want to escape, don't you?"

Aki nodded slowly. "Whatever it takes. However we can...as long as we don't have to hurt anyone else. But Mary, wait-"

"Yes..." Viola whispered.

"And you need another sacrifice, right?" Mary continued, completely ignoring Aki and picking up her rose_. I might be scared...but I'll do it...for my friends. I want to be remembered as a brave and kind person...I don't want to end up like the kind of monster I was before..._

"Mary...If you're thinking of being the sacrifice-" Aki began.

"Mary! Don't do this...!" Viola took a step forward, interrupting Aki again. "I didn't sacrifice myself for nothing." She said firmly, though there was a hint of desperation in her voice.

Mary plucked a petal from her rose. "I-I'm sorry!" She wailed, her blue eyes filled with despair. _I've only ever caused trouble... _"Please forgive me, Viola! I know I'm the only reason you were brought here in the first place, but..." Another yellow petal drifted towards the floor. "I'm the one who started this...So I should be the one to finish it!" _After everything I did to get to the outside world...this is how it ends. Everyone will get the happy ending they deserve. But...don't I deserve one too...?_

"M-Mary! NO!" Ib tried to stop Mary, but Garry darted forward and held her back. "Ib...leave her. She's made up her mind."

_I...I...have I really made up my mind...? _"I'm sorry, everyone! Please forgive me for what I did." Mary gave one last smile as she plucked the final petal from her rose_. I want them to be happy...yes, I'm fine with this...I'm not afraid, because I won't be all alone like I was before. Leah...we can be friends forever, now.._

She seemed to fall in slow motion, quite gracefully too_. Everyone...can live..._

"Mary! No! S-stop this!" Ib yelled, kneeling beside the girl's unmoving body. "I-I can't take it! I want to get out of this horrible place!" Tears poured down Ib's face as she picked up Mary's ruined rose.

"... ...We'll escape for you, Mary...We'll live out the life you never had." Aki said determinedly. "But..."

"But what?" Ib whispered. She felt that Aki knew something...something...off...that she wasn't telling them.

"I..." Aki began. "We...didn't need Mary to sacrifice herself. Something...wouldn't let me tell her...Maybe if...if I had gotten here faster, I could have stopped this from happening...Maybe if...I had...actually been able to say it..."

"Y-you did have enough time!" Ib yelled, her red eyes burning with fury. "You could have saved her, if only you had told her! You just stood on the sidelines, watching her die! You just wanted her dead!"

Aki shook her head. "I...don't know...something...was stopping me from saying it...I'm not sure...but...I'm sorry, Ib."

"Saying sorry isn't enough to bring her back..." Ib muttered sulkily.

Ellen stepped around the two bodies and put her hand on Aki's shoulder. "It's not your fault...Mary chose to do this. Even if you had arrived here sooner, what could telling her have done? Words can't save everyone..." Her eyes flickered as if she were remembering something, but it happened so fast Aki thought she must have imagined it. "Mary knew she wasn't going to be alone anymore. She'll remember us, always...I'm sure of it."

Viola nodded. "I-I hope I don't forget her. Ever..."

Garry pulled Ib to her feet. "Ib...it's okay. Mary might not have been happy before...but she has company now. She's back where...where she belongs."

"Th-that's...she belongs with us!" Ib sniffled. "She was unhappy as a painting, which is why she dragged us all down here in the first place! H-how can you say that, Garry? She's not happy at all! It drove her mad, being alone here!"

Garry stepped back. "Ib...I'm sorry...Mary might not have been happy before, but she has...that girl," he indicated Leah's body. "with her. She won't be alone anymore, Ib."

Ib just sniffed and rubbed her eyes in reply.

Ellen took Viola's hand in her own. "It may have come at a high price, but we can escape now, Viola. You and Aki included. So come on. Let's find a way out of here."

"About that..." Aki spoke up again. "The way out...is unstable because of the amount of people that used it as an escape route last time. We can't use that as a means of escaping. Besides, we need to find Sabitsuki, don't we?"

Ib nodded. "Sh-she's right. We can't leave anyone behind, can we? No matter what they did...I don't want anyone to suffer what Mary did..."

Aki and Viola shook their heads. Ellen hesitated. "Well...she...did kill Leah...and she could be anywhere by now!"

Aki grinned. She seemed to have realized she was forgiven. "I can solve that. Either Viola or I can view the whole gallery, seeing as we're paintings. I just close my eyes and-" She closed her eyes. She seemed to go into a sort of trance, but only moments later she opened her eyes again. Worry had clouded her gaze. "She's in the blood room."

_So we have Ib, Garry, Aki, Sabitsuki, Viola and Ellen. The main survivors of the incident. The escape is blocked...so how will they escape? Are there other exits...? Maybe there isn't anything beyond this gallery...I don't know...I'm just a a painting. Or I was...before Madotsuki, Ellen and Aki burnt me. I hope...they all escape. It's my fault...all my fault...this happened. I'm such...a fool...I went too far with my revenge...and I've payed the ultimate price for it. I hope the rest are careful...I don't want them to end up like I did..._


	9. Puppeteer

Blue eyes sparkled in the darkness. A little girl's hands twirled her blonde hair, winding the golden curls around her fingers. She waited, drifting in the darkness, for something to happen. She had just sacrificed herself for her friends. That didn't seem right.

_I wouldn't do that, would I?_

Mary let out a sigh. It was very peaceful, very calming, just drifting in this nothingness.

_I don't regret it. It's a shame I couldn't become a real person...but I guess...I'll have to live with my decision. I made the choice to stay here. _

She'd decided to remain in the haunted art gallery. Leah was there, too. She wouldn't be alone, but was that really enough to make her happy?

Mary smiled. _At least I...finally did become a better friend. I'll be remembered as a kind-hearted person now..._

Tears leaked from her eyes. _They'll all be happy now. All of my friends can be happy._

_But..._

_Don't I deserve to be happy? _

A sudden thought interrupted her peace. Her eyes, which had been closed, tore open. _Yes...I do deserve to be happy, don't I? Look at the life I've lived...it's not even real..._

Mary's hands dropped to her sides. She waited in the blackness, feeling as if she were about to cry again. _No...I would never sacrifice myself for someone, would I? I'm too scared of being alone to do that. So why...? _

She closed her eyes. _How could I have been so stupid?! Look at everything I did to get out of this place, and I just throw it all away like it's nothing! No, I would never do that. Never never never. _

Then she realized.

_What if...someone else is...controlling us? Perhaps that's why I made the decision to sacrifice myself. Maybe that's why Misao went mad. No, none of that should have happened. Misao should still be alive and happy! It's all my fault for bringing them here. I just wanted to live a real life in the real world. But maybe whoever is controlling us...whoever the puppeteer is...maybe I can help stop them. _

_..._

_Yes. I'll do it. Even though I can't use my friends and sacrifice them to live in the real world, I'll find another way. So I'll help them...all of my friends._

Ib stood next to Mary's painting. Garry held out his lighter, while Mary stood facing them.

"Get out of here! Get away from my painting! NOW!" Mary yelled.

"Ib! We have no choice but to burn her! Get out of the way!" Garry dashed towards the painting.

"NO! IB, DON'T LET HIM DO IT! PLEASE-!"

Mary was cut off as her painting was engulfed in flames.

"MARY!" Ib gasped, watching as Mary herself was swallowed up by the roaring fire. A yellow rose wilted before her, the petals being plucked off one by one. As the last one was pulled off, Mary slid to the floor while the orange and yellow light danced around her.

Garry was nowhere to be seen.

Ib was alone.

All alone.

Ib all alone.

"N-no..." Ib whispered, crouching beside Mary's corpse. Strange, she had been right in the middle of the fire, yet she barely had any scorch marks.

"Hey, Mary, please wake up. I need you to help me find Garry, so please get up...please..." A single tear slid down Ib's face.

She looked up when Mary didn't stir, wanting to leave this place forever. "I guess I could find Garry by myself..." She sniffed.

As her gaze trailed along the floor and to the door, she spotted blue petals scattered everywhere. A purple-haired man lay face-down on the floor, a rose stem clutched in his hand.

"Oh...there's Garry...how did his rose get like that...?" Ib staggered to her feet. She immediately wished she hadn't. Dizziness came washing over her like a tsunami. She let go of her red rose and followed it to the floor. Ib's eyes closed just as she hit the cold ground, and everything was gone.

_G-Garry? Mary? Where are you? I need you here...I need us all to escape...to be together, forever, just like we promised. Please...please...I want to save you...please..._

"Ib, are you feeling okay?" Viola held out her hand to Ib, concerned.

"V-Viola..." Ib's eyes flickered open. "Where are we? Where are the others?"

Ellen appeared next to Viola, and Ib noticed Garry crouching over her, holding her rose.

Aki's voice rang in from the left, near Ellen. "Is she okay? Did we get her rose to the vase in time?"

"Yes, she's okay." Ellen replied.

"Ib, do you think you can stand up?" Garry asked.

"Mm..." Ib nodded, taking Viola's outstretched hand.

Garry smiled gently. "That's good. We were very worried about you. Lucky there's a vase right next to us, right?"

"Hey...Garry..." Ib murmured, taking her rose from him.

"What is it?"

"I had a dream. A bad dream. One where you and Mary were gone, and I was left all alone. But that seems so familiar...it's almost like it could be real...you might have to burn Mary again."

"I'm sure Mary won't cause us anymore trouble. You did pass out for quite a while, so maybe it wasn't a warning, just a dream."

Ib stared at her feet, unsure. "It just seemed too real..."

"It's alright, Ib. We're all together. Maybe there will be another way to save Mary. If there is, then we can all stay together. We would never leave you, Ib."

Viola smiled at Ib. "None of us want to leave you alone. It's awful being by yourself, Ellen knows, but I can promise you that we'll never go away."

Ellen nodded, agreeing with Viola.

"Now let's go find Sabitsuki," Aki called. "she could be in danger."


	10. Her

_Aki, don't trust her. Whatever you do, don't trust that girl. She's the one...she's the one behind all this. I don't want you to be hurt. I don't want you to suffer. So please...stay away from her.  
But I guess...  
In the end...  
I'm less than a painting. No matter how much I try, I can only talk to you if you reach the same stage as me. So I'll just have to wait, and hope you figure it out before you end up like me._

**Tap tap tap.**  
_I have to get away from them!_  
**Tap tap tap tap tap tap.**  
_I must get away from them, before I hurt someone else!_  
**Tap, tap...Stop.**  
_I...can't get rid of her. No matter how many times I try, she won't leave me alone. There's no choice but for me to... ...Is it really the only way out? It must be, or I would've figured it out by now._  
**Tap...tap...tap...tap.**  
_Yeah. Maybe there is another way. But I've given up trying to find it. I can't do anything to get rid of Rust. It's all so pointless. The only thing I did in the end was...make it worse. _  
Sabitsuki looked up. She found herself staring at a blood-red wall. Three roses lay on the table: a peach-coloured rose, a black rose and a red rose. _Hey, is that red rose...my rose? H-how the heck did it end up there?! Although...come to think of it, I do remember losing my rose after Rust attacked that Leah girl. But what does this mean? Three roses, all intact, one of which is mine...Is this showing me the people Rust has attacked? If she's attacked me, though, then why do we share the same body?_  
She picked up the red rose. It glowed, a crimson outline appearing around it for a moment. "This is my rose..."  
A sudden sound pulled Sabitsuki from her thoughts.  
"Sabitsuki!" Aki's voice rang out through the silence.  
"A-Aki?" The white-haired girl dropped her crowbar. She clutched at her rose protectively.  
"Are you alright, Sabitsuki?" Aki asked. "Are you hurt anywhere?"  
"I-I'm fine. It's okay, Aki. It's safe in here."  
Viola, Ib, Ellen and a tall man with purple hair wandered in after Aki.  
"E-everyone..." Sabitsuki gasped. "You're all here? For...me?"  
"Of course," Viola smiled gently. "You told me the truth about Rust, so I trust you. I know you didn't mean to kill Leah or that other girl. We all do."  
"You shouldn't go off by yourself," Aki picked up the crowbar and handed it to Sabitsuki. "It only makes things worse. Misao had to learn that the hard way, and now she's sorry for it. So come with us, Sabitsuki, and let's all find a way out."  
"Aki...do you mean it?"  
"Of course. I don't want anyone to be left behind anymore. What Rust did was awful, but we can find a way to get rid of her, right?"  
Sabitsuki slowly nodded."...Okay. Let's go then. I'll deal with Rust later. We have bigger things to worry about right now."

_Aki...I told you not to trust her. You don't even suspect a thing, do you? Maybe, eventually, you'll figure out who this 'puppeteer' is. I just hope it doesn't take you long. There's not much time left. If you don't get rid of her, you'll just end up back in the gallery again. It'll be an endless cycle, until you get rid of her..._

"Aki!" Ayaka called. "Where did you go off to?" She had been searching the art gallery for about ten minutes now, but had found no sign of her friend.  
_That's really weird,_ she thought. _I can't see Yoshino or Saotome either. Maybe Tohma knows where Saotome is?_  
She soon spotted Tohma, standing over a huge, square-ish painting of an angler fish.  
"Tohma," she moved towards him. "have you seen Saotome or Aki? Or Yoshino?"  
Tohma looked up from the painting. "Nah, haven't seen Otome anywhere. But it ain't my fault she likes hangin' around with other people as well as me!"  
Ayaka nodded. "Aki disappeared, too. It must be a mystery then! We should investigate!"  
Tohma gave her a strange look. "N-nah, that's real weird. We should just stay here an' wait for 'em to turn up."  
"But I need someone's help," Ayaka continued bugging him. "and they can't find themselves!"  
"I already told ya, I ain't goin' nowhere! They're probably in the bathroom or somethin'."  
"Oh. I haven't checked there yet." Ayaka remembered.  
"...Idiot." Tohma muttered under his breath as Ayaka bounced away.  
Ayaka quickly checked the girls' bathroom, but found nothing. _Where did they go? Did they leave early?_  
All of a sudden, Ayaka heard a noise. She whipped around. It was just Yoshino and Saotome, standing at the entrance to the bathroom.  
"Have any of you guys seen Aki?" Ayaka questioned, calming down just a little. _At least they're not missing._  
"No, sorry, I haven't," Saotome said politely. "But maybe-"  
"What d'you think I'd have seen her for?" Yoshino rudely interrupted the other girl. "Wait..." The pink-haired girl stopped and thought for a moment, something she rarely seemed to do. "Do you mean...maybe Aki's gone missin'?! Like, actually been kidnapped or somethin'! Pretty suspicious if you ask me!"  
"We should all try to find her!" Ayaka suggested.  
Saotome nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we have to find Aki, she's our classmate."  
Yoshino led the way out of the girls' bathroom. They headed upstairs, where there was a little less noise.  
"I think I've checked everywhere up here," Ayaka told the others.  
"Well we can check again," Yoshino snapped.  
"Why don't Yoshino and I go check the right side, and you go check downstairs again?" Saotome suggested. "It'll be faster that way."  
Yoshino snorted. "You sound like someone off a horror movie."  
Ayaka left them to it, glad to be away from Yoshino. _I wish someone would teach her a lesson about bullying!_

The class left the museum about half-an-hour later. No one had found Aki, but at least no one else had gone missing.  
_I wonder where she went off to... _Ayaka worried about her friend as she walked back to the bus. _I bet it'll end up like it did with Misao, where we never see her again...that would suck. _  
Ayaka glanced up and saw her teacher, Mr Sohta, boarding the bus. She hurried to catch up with him, hoping she would be able to sit near him.


	11. Don't Run

_I didn't like her. I didn't want her to be another part of me. But she was still too young. _

"Can anyone else hear that rumbling sound?" Ib queried as Sabitsuki moved to stand with them.  
Garry stared at her, alarm filling his blue gaze. "What do you-"  
He was interrupted by a loud crashing sound; it almost shattered Ib's eardrums. The world shook to and fro and something smashed through the ceiling of the blood room.  
"What's going on?" Viola cried.  
"I don't know," Garry yelled. "Just get down!"  
They all dropped to the ground and crawled over to the table. Somehow, it managed to fit them under it.  
Ib whimpered as she huddled next to Sabitsuki and Viola. _Please let this be over soon._  
"Wait!" Aki yelled over the rumbling. "Where's Ellen?"  
"She's..." Viola's soft voice trailed off as the rumbling ceased. The ground stopped shaking, and the five of them tumbled out from under the table.  
"Ellen," called Aki. "Where are you?"  
Ib stared around, speechless. Where to door to the room should have been, there was a narrow staircase. It lead up and up, presumably to a different area.  
"That's..." Sabitsuki gasped.  
"The staircase that leads to Mary's sketchbook." Aki finished grimly. "I suppose we'll have to-"  
She was cut off by a sob. "Guys..."  
It was Viola. She was crouched near the table, beside a large piece of the wall that had fallen away. It was the only part of the room that had been damaged.  
"What is it?" Garry asked.  
"Ellen." She replied bluntly.  
Ib and the others clustered around the piece of the floor. Together, they managed to shift it. Viola gasped and slid back down to the floor. Ellen's body was revealed, covered in bruises. Her rose lay by her side, half a lilac petal remaining.  
"We have to get her rose to a vase," Garry instructed. "There's no point in panicking. She's still alive."  
Ib looked over at the table. Before there had been two roses lying on it; now there was a sparkling light blue vase. She knew it was the type that had an infinite amount of water.  
"There," she indicated the vase. "Quickly, someone put her rose in there!"  
Viola nodded and picked up the rose, desperate to save her friend. "I'll do it,"  
She got to her feet and gently carried Ellen's rose over to the table. The world seemed to hold its breath, waiting to see if the vase would heal Ellen's rose on time.  
She turned around a few moments later, a whole lilac rose in her hand. She smiled weakly and rushed back over to Ellen, laying the rose in one of the witch's open palms.  
Ellen's eyelid's flickered and her yellow eyes-that, Ib noticed, seemed to glow-stared up at the other five.  
"Ellen," Viola murmured. "You're okay."  
Ellen sat up and stared at Viola. "I thought I was dead. You...all saved me." She held her head lightly. It must have hurt.  
"Of course we saved you!" Garry exclaimed.  
Viola helped her friend to her feet. "Why wouldn't we?"  
Ellen smiled. "Of course. Why wouldn't you? We are friends, after all."

Sabitsuki watched the others crowd around Ellen, asking her if she was feeling okay and if she was hurt anywhere. She watched them silently, waiting for them to stop fussing. _Her rose is completely intact. Why wouldn't she be okay?_  
She narrowed her eyes and glanced over at the staircase. _How did it get here? Was it Mary?_  
Sabitsuki noticed Aki staring at it too, and she wondered for a moment if the other girl had summoned it. After all, she was a painting; but no, Aki looked just as confused as Sabitsuki.  
All of a sudden, Sabitsuki's vision blurred. She gasped and fell backwards, letting out a yelp as she hit the floor.  
"Sabitsuki?" Aki whipped around.  
Sabitsuki's vision blurred until she could no longer see who was bending over her.  
_No...not again!_  
She felt something dragging her down into the darkness; just before she blacked out, she saw two sets of blood red eyes staring down at her. She gasped.  
_Who is the real culprit here?_

Rust grinned as she felt herself taking charge of Sabitsuki's body. She felt blood flowing through her again and took a deep breath. Her grip tightened around the crowbar that always appeared when she was in charge.  
"S-Sabitsuki? A-are you okay?"  
Rust blinked and looked up towards the source of the stuttering. A girl with big green eyes was staring back down at her, concerned.  
Rust tilted her head to the side, pretending to be confused. "Sabitsuki? Who might that be?"  
The girl's emerald eyes filled with confusion. "H-huh?"  
Rust smiled a little. "Oh. You mean Sabi. She's gone...for now."  
"Saibtsuki...?" Another, smaller girl with crimson eyes joined the blonde girl. Her long brown hair tumbled down her shoulders as she leaned down.  
"Viola, Ib, is Sabitsuki okay?" A tall girl with light brown pigtails crouched down beside Rust.  
_Ah...these must be Sabi's friends._  
The girl with blonde hair stared in horror down at Rust.  
"What's wrong?" Rust widened her eyes. "Was Sabi important to you?"  
The girl with pigtails gasped and the smaller girl stepped back.  
"Wh-what...?" The girl with pigtails looked hopelessly confused. "Are you...Rust?"  
Rust grinned. "Of course I am. I've been waiting to meet you guys properly. We're going to have lots of fun together...!"  
The blonde girl looked as if she might throw up. "This can't be...I thought Rust was gone..."  
"I don't leave forever, you know," Rust stood up, lifting the crowbar. The other three girls gasped as she raised it above her head. "Isn't this the part where you scream in fear and run away?"  
The girl with pigtails shoved the smaller girl out of the way as the girl with golden braids stepped back.  
A tall man with purple hair and a young girl-also with purple hair-were watching the scene unfold, motionless and filled with terror. Well, the tall man was filled with terror. The young girl just looked slightly confused. _How admirable,_ Rust thought. She lowered the crowbar and smiled. "C'mon guys, don't ru-un! I know lots of fun games we can play."  
"Th-that's..." The tall man stammered.  
Rust turned to him and smiled sweetly. "You're first."


	12. Sabi

Garry stared at Rust, horror pulsing through him. _What did she just say?_  
Rust grinned and stepped closer to him, raising her crowbar. "I'll give you three seconds to run...One..."  
Garry gulped and took a step back.  
"...Two..."  
He turned and bolted towards the table and dropped his rose in the sparkling blue water that filled the vase.  
"...Three!" Rust leaped into action, charging over to him and swinging her crowbar. It connected with the side of Garry's head, making him yelp in pain.  
"Garry!" Ib yelled. "Keep your rose in the vase - she won't be able to hurt you that way!"  
Garry nodded, the pain dying away as his wound healed. Rust made a grab for his rose, but he pushed her away.  
He suddenly noticed a flash of pink out of the corner of his eye, and gasped as Aki dashed over and smacked Rust over the head with a baseball bat.  
"A-Aki?" He stuttered, watching Rust slide to the floor, unconscious.  
Aki grimaced. "I remembered my painting. Luckily it wasn't too far away...for some reason."  
Garry gulped. Rust seems to be appearing more and more often. We need to get rid of her!  
Sabitsuki's rose lay on the other side of the room, one of the petals missing.  
"We have to stop her, once and for all." Ellen spoke up.  
"Yeah," Ib agreed. "Otherwise she'll just keep coming back and distracting us from the main problem."  
"So how to we do that?" asked Garry. _The only way I can think of is killing her..._  
Viola and Aki exchanged a glance.  
"We've been thinking about that," announced Viola. "And we think we've found a way that can save her."

Sabitsuki stirred. Her red eyes glowed as she opened them - but not with rage or a desire for blood - with anxiety and sadness. "It happened again." Her voice was very faint, almost like a whisper. She tried to sit up, but pain sliced through her forehead and she held it lightly, trembling.  
_Why...why me?_  
"Don't push yourself," Viola said kindly.  
Aki moved closer to Sabitsuki. "Hey, once you're ready to hear it, we've got something to tell you."  
Sabitsuki nodded. Ellen arrived next to Garry suddenly, holding Sabitsuki's rose. She placed it in the vase. Immediately, Sabitsuki felt the pain die away. She got to her feet as the last of her exhaustion was washed away. "So what was it you wanted to say?" she asked.  
Aki smiled gently. "We think we've found a way to get rid of Rust."  
Sabitsuki felt her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at Aki, disbelief crawling through her. "Y-you know how...how to get rid of...Rust?" she repeated.  
Viola nodded and Sabitsuki focused on her instead. "Yeah. Sabitsuki, you didn't really escape the gallery last time, did you?"  
Sabitsuki sighed. "No. Something was holding me back."  
She recalled being helped up onto the Fabricated World by someone...then a loud rumbling sound...and suddenly she was floating through a dark abyss...then she was back in the gallery.  
"That was Rust," Aki spoke again. "Her willpower stopped you from leaving this place. Her desire to kill was even stronger than your desire to leave the gallery."  
Sabitsuki glanced from Aki to Viola, then back again. "Yeah, that's right...but how did you find this out?"  
Aki looked puzzled. "Well...I don't...I remember someone telling me, but...I can't recall who. I-"  
"That doesn't matter, then," Sabitsuki cut across her. "What matters is that we know what Rust is and that she's going to keep me down here unless we do something about it."  
"Well...what is Rust, exactly?" Garry asked sheepishly.  
"She's some sort of being that possessed me," Sabitsuki explained. "Everyone thinks I have some sort of personality disorder - and I can see why they would think that - but I know Rust possessed me."  
Garry nodded.  
"So, Sabitsuki..." Viola held out her hand towards the other girl. "To get rid of Rust we're going to need your rose."  
"Why...?" Sabitsuki inquired wearily.  
"To pluck the petals from it. Your rose is connected to two beings - you and Rust - right? So if your rose wilts or has the petals ripped from it, one of the beings will die off and leave the remaining one without her burden," Aki explained.  
"But what if I die and Rust lives?"  
Both Aki and Viola stayed silent. They hadn't given that possibility much thought.  
"...I don't think there's any way of telling who will drop dead and who will live," muttered Aki.  
Sabitsuki nodded. "It's alright. I understand the consequences. I'll do it."  
Ib's crimson eyes widened. "Are you sure?"  
Sabitsuki nodded. "I'm sure it'll be fine. If I die, kill Rust as soon as she appears. No one will get hurt because of me anymore." Sabitsuki met Viola's soft green gaze. "I know I can trust you." She dropped her rose into Viola's open palm. "Now go, do it. I don't want to waste your time any longer."  
"Hey, if this doesn't work...I want you to know you're very brave." Garry said.  
Ellen nodded.  
"Yeah," Ib murmured.  
"If this does work, we're pretty sure you're going to wake up here as if nothing happened." Viola told her.  
Sabitsuki nodded and closed her eyes. _I don't care what it takes. No one else is going to get hurt._  
A dark red petal floated to the floor. Sabitsuki felt a sharp pain, like a cut, run through her body.  
Five more petals soon followed the first one. A single petal clung to the stem.  
Just as the petal was plucked off...Sabitsuki remembered. The red eyes. The warning. "A-Aki-"  
_No, wait! I have to tell them-_  
"Goodbye, Sabi!" A familiar voice rang out as Sabitsuki's vision blurred. A giggle pierced the air as Sabitsuki collapsed.  
_Please...let this work. I have to tell them the truth. I have to live happily, for once in my life._


	13. Goodbye, Forever

The whole world seemed to hold its breath. Ellen felt anxiety nibbling at her brain. Some part of her wanted both Rust and Sabitsuki to be gone, while the other wanted Sabitsuki to be able to live normally.  
Suddenly Sabitsuki's eyes flew open. Ellen gasped at the darkness of them. Rust was gone. A girl with pale grey hair and black eyes lay in the place a rusting girl had once been.  
"It...worked." Aki murmured.  
"It worked!" Viola shouted happily, clapping her hands. "We did it!"  
"Sabitsuki?" Ib started forward.  
"Y-you..." Sabitsuki caught Ib's gaze.  
"Yeah," Ib smiled. "It's me, Ib."  
"No...you're all...being tricked..." Sabitsuki groaned.  
"S-Sabitsuki?" Viola moved to her friend's side, dropping her and Sabitsuki's rose - which was suddenly whole again. Worry pricked at her voice. "Are you okay?"  
Sabitsuki sat up rather quickly. "You're being fooled," she whispered.  
"I don't get what you mean..." Garry's blue gaze was clouded with confusion.  
Ellen stared at Sabitsuki. Is she feeling okay?  
"Sabitsuki?" concern edged Aki's voice.  
"The one behind everything...it's Ib!" She pointed dramatically at the red-eyed girl. "Ib is the puppeteer who started everything!"  
The room froze. The world froze. Everything froze.  
"...What...?" Aki gasped, her eyes widening.  
Ib stared down at Sabitsuki, frozen with shock. "I...am...?"  
"Don't play dumb," Sabitsuki snapped. "I know what you've done!"  
Ellen took a step away from the others. "You're kidding...right?"  
Viola and Garry were both speechess with shock. Aki and Ib both had their mouths hanging open. Sabitsuki faced them, a look of extreme certainty across her face.  
Suddenly, a wave of static blocked Ellen's vision. She fell to the ground, clapped her hands over her ears and yelled.  
"I'll show you the truth," A familiar voice voice rang out, somehow interrupting the noise of the static.. Ellen heard Aki cry, "Misao!", but the static soon cut off anything else she was going to say.  
"I'll show you all why Ib is behind everything. It's time to face the truth."

Ib stood next to Mary's painting. Garry held out his lighter, while Mary stood facing them.  
"Get out of here! Get away from my painting! NOW!" Mary yelled.  
"Ib! We have no choice but to burn her! Get out of the way, now!" Garry lit his lighter and threw it towards the painting.  
"NO! IB, DON'T LET HIM DO IT! PLEA-!"  
Mary was cut off as her painting was engulfed in flames.  
"MARY!" Ib gasped, watching as Mary herself was swallowed up by the roaring fire. A yellow rose wilted before her, the petals being plucked off one by one. As the last one was pulled off, Mary slid to the floor while the orange and yellow light danced around her.  
Garry was nowhere to be seen.  
Ib was alone.  
All alone.  
"N-no..." Ib whispered, crouching beside Mary's corpse. Strange, she had been right in the middle of the fire, yet she barely had any scorch marks.  
"Hey, Mary, please wake up. I need you to help me find Garry, so please get up...please..." A single tear slid down Ib's face.  
She looked up when Mary didn't stir, wanting to leave this place forever. "I guess I could find Garry by myself..." She sniffled.  
As her gaze trailed along the floor and to the door, she spotted blue petals scattered everywhere. A purple-haired man lay face-down on the floor, a rose stem clutched in his hand.  
"Oh...there's Garry...how did his rose get like that?" Ib staggered to her feet. She immediately wished she hadn't. Dizziness came washing over her like a tsunami. She let go of her red rose and followed it to the floor. Ib's eyes closed just as she hit the cold ground, and everything was gone.  
_G-Garry? Mary? Where are you? I need you here...I need us all to escape...to be together, forever, just like we promised. Please...please...I want to save you...please..._  
Ib expected death to come right then. But it didn't. For a while she lay there, weary to the bone. All of a sudden, a strange blue mist appeared before her, making her gasp.  
"I'll let you bring your friends back to life," the creature had a rather boyish voice. "On one condition."  
"A-anything..." Ib whispered desperately.  
"You become a Witch."  
Ib nodded. A flash of blinding white light suddenly filled the world; she closed her eyes, waiting for it to be over. She didn't care what she became, as long as she got to see her friends again.  
_I promised...I promised I'd be her best friend. I promised I'd help her, but in the end, all I did was make it worse. Mary...I promise I'll save you. I know you killed Garry, but my wish brought him back to life. It was you, Mary, who I couldn't help. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll find a way...I'll find a way to save you. I just...have to bring you back from the gallery. Wake up, Mary. WAKE UP._

_I'm awake? I thought I was...dead? Garry burned me, didn't he? So...why am I here? I feel another presence...a familiar one. Could it be...Ib? Did she...sacrifice herself? No, she couldn't have. Well, whatever. I have another chance to escape. This time, there won't be anyone finding out what I really am. I'll make sure no mistakes are made. And I'll finally, finally...finally find a way to the real world._

Misao stood, watching the others take deep, shuddering breaths as they awoke. In particular, her eyes sought out Aki - her one and only friend.  
"Misao," the girl spoke, her voice filled with confusion. "How did you-"  
Misao met Aki's amber gaze. "Your will to find the truth and see me again was enough to allow me a few minutes here. I can't be with you for much longer, but at least I was able to show you the truth."  
A grey-haired girl - Sabitsuki, Misao remembered - suddenly faced Misao. "You gave me that warning. About a red-eyed girl."  
Misao nodded. "Sorry I didn't make it more clear. I didn't want to tell you the truth straight away: it would only alarm you more, so I gave you the clue about the red eyes. Although, Aki does have red eyes too..."  
Aki grinned. "I prefer having these contacts in." Her tone suggested she was trying to hide something, though.  
Suddenly, Ib stood up. She faced Misao, her red eyes threatening to spill tears as she spoke. "Thanks, Misao...I-I still can't remember everything, but...I can feel some sort of power...somewhere at the back of my mind. It's controlling everything, like bringing Garry and Mary back. But... saving Mary...that was never going to happen, was it?"  
Misao shook her head. "Ib...when the demon said 'I'll bring back your friends', it meant 'bring them back to the state they were in before they died'. So Mary was always going to become a painting again, no matter how many times she tried to escape." Misao hated to make people upset, but she had to tell Ib the truth. She'd known - for ages - the younger girl was behind it all; but she'd never stopped to think Ib might have forgotten the events that she went through.  
"Ib..." Viola said suddenly. "You're a Witch?"  
Ib stared at the ground. "Yeah, I guess I am...but I don't have any spells, because the demon never made any more deals with me. It just...disappeared."  
Ellen made her way over to Ib. "Good. You should never make a deal with demons. They'll always find ways to trick you. I waited years - centuries - for the spell to cure my illness, yet all I got was a spell to trade bodies," she glanced at Viola. "But I convinced the demon to find another spell. I didn't want anyone else's body...at least, not yet."  
Viola reached for Ellen's hand. "It's okay," she whispered, gripping it tightly. "I know you were going to switch with me; but what matters is that you changed your mind, right?"  
Misao smiled. _They're such good friends._  
"So...what are we going to do about this situation?" Aki asked suddenly. "How do we get things back to the way they were before?"  
"We can do that, can't we?" Garry added.  
Misao realised everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to answer. "I..." _I don't want to disappoint them, but... _"...No. I'm sorry, but there's no way for anything to go back to normal. Leah, Saotome, Yoshino and Mary have to stay in this world. You can't reverse a contract made with a demon, right, Ellen?"  
Ellen shook her head.  
Garry smiled at Ib. "We're not angry at you, Ib. Don't worry."  
Sabitsuki nodded. "Sorry for snapping at you earlier. I didn't know you had forgotten."  
Ib suddenly pulled Garry into a hug - even though she was only his elbow-height. "I'm happy I could save you, at least."  
"Hey, I've got one more question," Aki stepped towards Ib. "If you're in control - somewhere at the back of your mind, at least - how come you stopped me from telling Mary that enough sacrifices had been made?"  
"Um...I think...I think a part of me knew that it was impossible to turn Mary into a human. I think that's why I stopped everyone from stopping her...and why I made her do it." Ib let go of Garry and stepped back.  
Garry nodded. "That makes sense. I thought it didn't seem like Mary to sacrifice herself. Yet...you seemed so upset about it. I thought you would have expected it at least a bit."  
"No, I couldn't predict anything. Now that I know the power's there, I might be able to control it or predict what it's going to do; but before I couldn't."  
Suddenly Misao felt something pulling her away. She'd known this time would come - the time for her to leave them, forever - but she still didn't want to go.  
"Misao," Aki exclaimed. "Don't leave, not yet!"  
Misao smiled sadly. She hated being alone, but at least she'd been able to prepare herself for this moment. "It was good to see you all again; especially you, Aki, but I have to go. Maybe I'll see you again one day - so until then, hold on just a little bit longer, okay?"  
Aki nodded. "I'll always be there for you, Misao. You're never alone. I'll never forget you, ever!"  
Misao opened her mouth to say 'Thank you', but was pulled back into her dark tomb before she could speak the words.


	14. The Gallery

"So...what now?" Viola sounded slightly defeated.  
"I guess we go up the staircase," Garry shrugged. Everyone glanced towards the seemingly endless line of stairs that led up to Mary's sketchbook. To Aki, it seemed like a hopeless journey. Even so, she led the way up the staircase, with Ib, Viola, Ellen and Garry behind her. Sabitsuki was at the back, just in case something came rushing up at them. Everyone was silent, still in shock over the discovery of Ib being the mastermind. As they walked, Aki noticed strange crayon-drawn objects zooming past.  
"Aki?" Ib said suddenly.  
"What is it?"  
"I'm sorry about...Misao."  
Aki smiled softly to herself. "It's alright. I'm not a alone, and neither is she. We'll be together one day, I'm sure."  
"Yeah..." Ib muttered. "Hopefully I'll get to see Mary again..." Her voice trailed off. They had finally reached the top of the staircase. It opened up to a narrow pink path that looked as if it had been drawn with crayon - in fact, the whole world _had_been drawn with crayon.  
"We're here," Ellen observed.  
"We need to find the key to the gallery." Garry instructed.  
"The key to the gallery? You mean we can escape?" Viola asked hopefully.  
"No, it's a building Mary drew here. The key is found by watering that plant," he indicated a light blue crayon-flower next to Ib. "But first we need to find a bucket. That should be in a house to the west," Garry said thoughtfully.  
"I have no idea what you're talking about right now," Aki said. "So can you show us what you mean?"  
Garry nodded. He began walking left, past a crayon-house, past a large building that must have been the gallery, and past a sign that pointed down and read 'Down to Gallery'.  
The group reached a park with crayon-butterflies in it named 'butterfly park'. Next to the park...there was an upside-down house. Garry strode confidently over to it, but Aki followed more hesitantly.  
"That house is upside-down. Won't we fall if we enter it?" Viola asked nervously.  
Garry shook his head. "No, we should be fine."  
"Some of us should stay out here...just in case." Sabitsuki added.  
Ellen nodded. "Yeah, what if something comes and attacks us?"  
"Ellen, Sabitsuki and Aki, you stay out here, then. Viola, Ib and I will go in and get the key. If anything happens to us - not that there's anything dangerous inside this house - leave and find another way to water the flower," Garry ordered.  
Aki felt a little uneasy at his warning, but agreed anyway. It was better than all of them crowding inside that house for no reason.  
As the other three left, Aki turned to Ellen and Sabitsuki. "How many petals do you have on your roses? Are they fully healed?"  
Ellen and Sabitsuki exchanged confused glances.  
"Mine's got all five petals," Ellen said.  
"Mine has seven petals. They're all there," Sabitsuki explained.  
Aki nodded and sighed. She pulled out two roses: one grey and one green. "For some time now...Viola and I have been slowly becoming human. Our roses have been healing and our powers of being a painting have been fading. The monsters around here will no longer leave us alone, and I can't recall a view of the gallery."  
Ellen gasped. "But doesn't that mean-"  
Aki nodded. "If I die...seeing as I'm only part human until I escape to the real world, I'll end up like-"  
Suddenly Garry, Ib and Viola burst out of the door to the upside-down house, Viola holding a bucket and the others clutching tight at their roses.  
"Don't tell them yet...please," Aki whispered. The two girls nodded.  
"What happened?" Sabitsuki asked the other three.  
"Th-there was a headless mannequin..." Garry stuttered, looking absolutely terrified. "I forgot about those things...I wonder how it got in there?"  
"Maybe Mary put it there to stop people from getting to the bucket?" Sabitsuki suggested. Aki was still adjusting to the darkness of her eyes. It was almost like there was no pupil.  
"Right, time to water that flower," Viola suddenly spoke up.  
Everyone murmured their agreement and followed Garry and Ib. They ended up in a reasonably-sized square area with four paths leading in different directions - they had just come from the west. In the center was a small, pink, box-like 'building' with purple writing by the front door. As Aki moved closer to it, she could make out the words: 'The Pink Key is always kept in the toy box.'.  
"Toy box...?" she muttered.  
"The toy box is where we need to go. The key to unlock this door-" Garry indicated the double door on the building. "-is in there. Unfortunately, so is a room full of...those creepy d-dolls..." He looked even more terrified than before.  
Aki raised her eyebrows. "Those dolls aren't as disturbing as before. Viola made new ones to replace them. They just look like normal dolls now."  
"Yeah, and we're paintings," Viola added. "So they won't attack us."  
_I should warn them...but I can't...is this more of Ib's magic, or am I just being stubborn? _Aki thought.  
"Does anyone need to heal their rose?" Ellen called from the other side of the small building. "There's a vase nearby."  
"No, I'm fine," Ib murmured.  
"I think we're good to go," Garry agreed.  
The group set off again. Garry and Ib led them on the path that pointed north, past another crayon-house that apparently held Mary's room and the toy box. They turned right and came across a rather badly-drawn lake.  
"Here we are," Garry said.  
Viola lowered the bucket into the water. Though this water looked like it was made out of crayon, it actually turned to clean, real water once inside the bucket - though it looked out of place.  
_How does that even work?_ Aki shook her head.  
As the group headed down and back to the blue flower, they passed a bunch of trees with no leaves on them. Aki turned to the right and thought she saw something white hanging from the tree. As she moved closer she saw nothing, however. She turned back to the others, feeling like she was going crazy. _Was a crayon-person hanging from that tree...?_  
They reached the flower, but found that the staircase was gone.  
"What the...?" Ellen muttered, furrowing her brows.  
"Where'd the staircase go?" Sabitsuki frowned.  
"More of Ib's magic, I'm guessing," Aki put in. Ib looked miserable at that, and Aki immediately regretted saying it.  
Viola tipped the bucket of water over the turquoise flower. It drank up the water and suddenly bloomed. A key lay in the center of it. Garry picked it up. He led them back to the gallery - leaving the bucket behind - past a bulletin board that had an unreadable white scribble on it. He turned to face them at the front of a big white building. A drawing of a paint pallet hung over the door.  
"This is it?" Aki stared up at the gallery. "I thought it was gonna be down a path or something. I didn't think this was the gallery you were talking about."  
"You can see the whole gallery though, can't you?" Garry reminded her.  
"O-oh...yeah." Aki nodded. _Not anymore..._  
Garry unlocked the door and the six of them entered the gallery. Inside, there were drawings - obviously by Mary - of Garry and Ib who were holding their roses, respectively...though it seemed a petal was falling from Garry's rose. Next to that there were neater drawings of a clock, a mirror and a bird. Aki wasn't sure who they were by - it could have been Leah or Yoshino (though it would be unlike Yoshino to draw). To the left of those drawings was a small grey box. Mary had written 'Pandora's Box' in purple, with an arrow pointing to this little box, so that explained what that was. Near Pandora's Box was a drawing of Mary and a creepy-looking blue doll (which was holding Mary's yellow rose). Surrounding those two were smaller drawings of Misao, Ellen, Viola, Aya - who Aki barely remembered, Sabitsuki, Aki herself, Madotsuki, Leah, Yoshino and Saotome. The drawings sent shivers up Aki's spine.  
"It's obvious we've got to open the box. Let's do that and get out of here," Viola looked slightly scared.  
Ib crouched down and opened the box. Aki jumped as a loud sound emanated from it, followed by a bunch of colourful shapes blocking Aki's vision - but they were gone as quickly as they had appeared. Ib stood up again, this time holding a mirror. "We'll need this later on," she explained. She turned and led the way out of the creepy building; this time they went through the other exit near the creepy doll and Mary.  
"So what was that all about?" Ellen inquired, confused, once they had left the gallery.  
"The shapes flew out of Pandora's Box and landed in certain places in this Sketchbook," Garry explained.  
"What are they for?" Viola asked.  
"A puzzle that's necessary to obtain the pink key. The puzzle is...I think it was remembering the order in which the shapes flew out, then finding the areas - like northwest, southwest, east center - they're in and showing where the shapes are and the order of them by stepping on buttons...or something."  
"Sounds complicated," Sabitsuki remarked.  
"So...do you know where they are?" Aki prompted.  
Garry looked thoughtful for a second. "I think...I think I remember the order. Do you, Ib?"  
The young girl shook her head.  
_This is really getting to her, even if she doesn't really show it..._ Aki stared down at her. _Will she really be okay?_  
"Aha, I remember!" Garry exclaimed suddenly. "The order was north center, west center, northea-"  
"Can we wait until we find the puzzle itself?" Ellen interrupted.  
"Y-yeah...okay." Garry nodded. He led them quickly up past the butterfly park to a dark blue building with a curved white line above the doorway. Put together, it was obviously supposed to resemble an eye, which creeped Aki out a little. However, the door was frozen shut with a solid layer of ice around it, making it impossible to open.  
"H-hey...I can feel the Sun on my back!" Viola piped up, sounding a little freaked out. She glanced around until she spotted a yellow crayon-sun up above them.  
"It's warm, just like the real Sun..." Sabitsuki noted, standing next to Viola.  
"How does...never mind." Ellen sighed. "This place is full of strange things. This shouldn't be a surprise."  
Ib held out the mirror she'd been carrying. "This will reflect the sunlight onto the doorway and melt the ice."  
Viola nodded, taking the small mirror from her. "I was just beginning to think that." She and Sabitsuki stepped out of the way as she placed the mirror on the ground. Almost immediately, the fake Sun's crayon-drawn rays bounced off the mirror and landed on the doorway, quickly melting the ice.  
"Time to solve the puzzle," Aki smiled as she pushed open the door.


	15. Toy Box

The room looked rather small once everyone was inside. Viola shivered a little as she realised there was the ticking of the clock in the background. It seemed to get louder with each 'tick', but Viola knew that was just her imagination.

"This place is creepy." Aki stared at the back wall, which had the order of the shapes drawn on it and the word 'start'.

Suddenly, Sabitsuki winced and stepped back. Viola looked down and realised the girl had stepped on a red button. She noticed there was a button for each area in the Sketchbook and instantly understood what they had to do.

"Are you alright?" Ib asked.

"I'm fine, yeah..." Sabitsuki rubbed her arm. A cut had appeared on it. "I think I stepped on the wrong button..."

"Okay," Garry instructed. "I'll tell you what button comes first, and whoever's closest to that button will step on it."

"This feels like a party game," muttered Aki next to Viola.

**Tick, tick, tick, tick...**

"North centre," Garry called. Ellen pushed the button.

"West centre," Garry pushed the button himself.

"Northeast,"

Ellen went again

**Tick, tick, tick...**

"Northwest,"

Ib went next.

"Southeast,"

Aki pushed it.

**Tick, tick...**

"South centre,"

Viola stepped on the small red button. No one had gotten hurt so far, so Garry's memory must have been pretty good.

"East centre,"

Aki pushed that one.

"And southwest," Garry concluded.

Sabitsuki nodded and pushed the button.

A small key appeared in the centre of the buttons. Ib stooped and picked it up, holding it as tight as she held her rose. "Right," she said. "Let's go open the door to the toy box."

The group headed out of the room. Viola shivered as she left, sure something was watching her...though maybe that was just Aki's eyes on the back of her head, following her out the door.

Once they'd all gathered outside, Garry turned and led them east. They reached a small white building, which Garry then opened the door to.

"That's the toy box? That's not even a box..." Aki pointed out.

"The toy box is inside the building," Garry explained.

"Mary's room is in there too," Ib added. "I wonder if she'll be in there?"

"Hopefully. I want to apologise to her for not being able to save her..." Aki hung her head.

Viola put her hand on the other girl's shoulder. "It's okay. Even if you had told her, it would've been impossible to save her."

Aki shook her head and stood up straight. "You're right. I shouldn't be blaming myself for something that was out of my control."

"Now let's go and find the key so we can finally get out of this horrible place. Forever," Sabitsuki smiled. Her clear blue eyes seemed to be slowly filling with hope.

The group stepped inside the building. They had all prepared themselves for danger, yet...the room was small and only held what must have been the toy box. It was well lit, so nothing could have been hiding in the shadows. Aki took a few steps towards the toy box, glancing quickly around the room. Viola felt a shiver run up her spine as Aki silently drew closer to the toy box. She followed Aki quite quickly, feeling as though the other girl was in danger. As she got closer, she noticed the toy box was actually pitch black inside, as if it went down a long, long way.

"Do we have to jump down there?" Aki asked quietly.

"Yes," Garry replied.

"Won't we die?" Viola turned to face him.

"No. As long as your rose remains intact, I'm sure you'll be okay."

"We'll just have to take the risk, I guess," Sabitsuki said.

"We'll go two at a time. There's no room for more than that," Garry decided.

Aki looked at Sabitsuki. "Should we go first? There's no point in staying when we'll just end up back here anyway."

Sabitsuki nodded. Then, all too quickly, they were gone.

Viola shivered again. Something felt wrong. It was like a trap.

"Don't worry," Ib said. "You're a painting. You won't get attacked."

"That's not what I'm worried about..." Viola muttered.

"It only feels wrong because Mary pushed us down there last time. I guess some of my uncertainty is making you feel that way," Garry added. "Now, you and Ellen go next. Ib and I will follow."

Viola nodded. She took a deep breath as she stood at the edge of the toy box. _It looks__like it goes down a long way..._

"Viola? Should we go?" Ellen's voice broke through Viola's thoughts.

"Oh, yeah...Let's go." She took a deep breath, bent her legs, and hopped into the toy box, wondering if she would survive the fall.

When Sabitsuki awoke, she found the face of a scarily lifelike doll staring down at her. Alarmed, she sat up immediately, knocking over the doll as she did so.

"Sabitsuki?" Aki called.

"Yeah, I'm here," Sabitsuki replied, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she searched for the other girl. "Do you know where we-" A sudden thump made her jump a little. She gasped and stared around.

"Did someone fall in?" Aki whispered from wherever she was.

"No, I think they just landed funny."

"U-ugh..." A groan came from Sabitsuki's left. She turned and spotted Viola lying on the ground near a vase.

"Viola!" Aki cried. Sabitsuki felt the wind whip past her as Aki raced to Viola's side. A soft 'tap' echoed through the area as she did so and Ellen suddenly appeared. She landed delicately next to Viola, then was followed by Ib and Garry landing heavily on the ground.

"Viola's unconcious," Aki reported. "Her rose only has one petal. What about Ib and Garry?"

Sabitsuki scrambled to her feet and rushed over to Garry. His rose still had quite a few petals on it, and Ib had sat up before Sabitsuki could get to her.

"We're fine," Ib said quietly as Garry's eyelids fluttered and he, too, sat up.

Sabitsuki suddenly realised she didn't have her rose. She felt panic set in and glanced back to where she'd landed. Her rose was no where to be seen.

"Sabitsuki, are you okay?" asked Ellen.

"I...m-my rose...it's gone!"

"Are you sure you haven't got it?" Garry's voice was strangely sharp and he seemed to be quite worried.

"D-don't worry...it'll be around somewhere. Just get Viola's rose in the vase and help her. I'll be fine," Sabitsuki said, trying to sound braver than she felt. Suddenly slice of pain ran through her body. Sabitsuki winced and staggered as she attempted to stand.

_What the...how did that happen?_

"Sabitsuki...your rose is red, right?" Ib called out.

"Y-yeah." Sabitsuki made her way over to the girl.

"That doll has it." Ib indicated a delicate-looking porcelain doll in the middle of the room. It was then that Sabitsuki noticed the crayon drawings covering the walls, floor and ceiling. There were even a few disturbing blue dolls lurking around, and creepy white mannequin heads seemed to stare at her no matter where she stood.

"This place feels cold..." Aki's voice sounded oddly distant. Sabitsuki felt another sharp pang of pain run through her body. Her vision began to blur and she let out a yelp.

"Someone find her rose right away!" Suddenly Viola's voice was back, though Sabitsuki hadn't heard anyone say she'd woken up.

"That damn doll," Garry yelled. His cry was followed by a loud shattering sound and suddenly Sabitsuki's vision returned. She found herself leaned against Aki's shoulder, cuts and bruises covering her legs.

"Her rose has two petals left. She should be okay until we can find a new one," said Ellen.

Sabitsuki shook her head. She felt a bit better, but her body ached all over. She spotted Ib and Garry exchange a worried glance.

"What is it?" Viola asked.

"Once we find the pink key, all the dolls and mannequin heads will chase us. If you've only got two petals...I'm not sure if we'll make it," Garry explained.

Ib frowned. "I won't let her die."

The six of them stood in silence for a moment. It seemed no one knew what to do.

_I wonder if we can escape now...out situation seems hopeless... _The familiar hopeless thoughts filled Sabitsuki's head. She felt as if she were about to cry.

"We'll just have to try and get out of here. No matter what, we can't give in. We didn't get this far for nothing, y'know." Aki's voice was filled with determination.

"I know...but it seems like no matter how far we get, we'll never escape," Viola murmured. "There's just been room after room after room, and I don't know if I can handle any more."

"At least now we understand how Mary felt," Ib added.

"At least we're together," Garry said. "I won't let any of you give up. Don't tell me, after all this time, that you're just gonna quit. I'm responsible for your lives and I won't let them end this way."

Sabitsuki nodded, but she'd barely heard them. She was too exhausted to continue. "Can I just...rest for a bit...?"

Aki slung her arm around Sabitsuki's shoulder. "No way. We'll hep you until the end."

Sabitsuki felt a few tears side down her face. _No one's ever taken care of me this way before...they remind of the gang back at the hospital, in a weird way._

"Okay, so where's the pink key?" Ellen prompted.

"It's next to a drawing of a pink cat," Garry explained. "It's on the-"

"Got it." Ib held up a small pink key.

"O-oh..." Garry smiled. "Okay."

Suddenly the room turned icy cold. Sabitsuki shivered as her vision turned blue. A creepy sound like a trampoline bounce echoed through the area. The dolls' eyes all glowed and the mannequin heads' eyes all moved to stare at Ib.

"Woah, what's going on?" Viola exclaimed.

"Everyone run for the exit! It's just up there!" Garry indicated a gap in the wall leading to a staircase flanked by two big blue dolls.

Sabitsuki felt Aki turn and she forced her legs to move. She heard a yelp behind her and tried to turn back to help, but Aki pressed forward. "We're nearly there," she muttered. "There's no time to-" Aki's foot got caught behind Sabitsuki's ankle. She staggered, unable to hold Sabitsuki's weight and tripped.

"Aki!" Sabitsuki summoned her final scrap of strength and caught Aki's arm just in time. "We're nearly there." She half-dragged the girl to the staircase. She ran and ran, even though she felt as though she'd collapse, and didn't stop running. She was sure she'd faint or die or anything, she was sure she couldn't carry on, but just as the last of her strength faded away…

"Sabi!" Mary called. "It's been so long!

A/N: So I recently read the .flow manga and found out that Sabitsuki's eyes are actually blue. Unfortunately I can't go back and edit it, but from now on her eyes are going to be described as blue.


	16. The Painting Lied

In case anyone was wondering, yes I did rewrite this chapter.

Mary stood and faced the people who had once called her a friend. Sabitsuki lay against the wall, barely alive. Aki and Viola were crouched beside her. Ellen, Garry and Ib were close by them, unharmed but tired. Exhausted. _What a strange group, _Mary thought.  
"Is Sabitsuki going to be okay?" Garry asked anxiously.  
"She'll be fine, as long as we can find a vase, I think," Viola said.  
"There's one just up the stairs by my room – well, mine and Leah's," Mary told them.  
Aki nodded. "That's good...but, Mary, why are you here? I thought...I thought the only reason you sacrificed yourself was because of the...the thing with Ib?"  
Mary felt anger rising up inside her. _Why did she have to bring that up? _"If Ib hadn't made that stupid wish, none of this would have happened!" When Ib looked nervous, Mary took a deep breath to calm herself, just like Leah had taught her. "I'm sorry, Ib...I know you just wanted to save me...but I just want friends. I just want to leave this place and live a real life! I guess I can't have that, but I can have more friends! Maybe...maybe you guys could stay here with me."  
"We can't all stay here, Mary," Garry said gently. "We've got lives of our own."  
_Don't get angry...don't get angry...remember what happened last time? You'll just end up hurting them. They're your friends. Don't get angry at them. It's not their fault. _Mary took another few deep breaths. "Then take me with you!"  
"You already tried to escape," Ellen reminded her. "You know what happened: you just came right back. Even if Aki hadn't brought everyone back, you would have ended up back here. It's your fate, Mary, and you can't change it, especially now that it's set in place with a witch's magic."  
Mary glared at them. "Why don't you understand? I've been down here for so long, and as soon as I have a chance to leave, Ib's wish prevents me from doing that! It's not fair!"  
_I don't care about staying calm. It's all their fault! _Mary pulled out her pallet knife.  
"Mary, please, you don't have to do this!" Viola exclaimed.  
"Yes I do! If you won't stay with me, then I'll have to make you!" Abandoning all attempts to control her temper, Mary rushed at Garry and swung her pallet knife at him. _This is all your fault!_  
"Run!" Aki yelled. "Viola and I will take care of Sabitsuki!"  
Garry dodged out of Mary's way and took off down the corridor, Ib and Ellen close behind him. Mary chased after them, knowing exactly where they were going. _It's the only way I can keep them here with me! I have to kill them!_

Ib's heart pounded as she raced after Garry. She was exhausted, she wanted to rest, but Mary was close behind her and she knew that if she stopped, it would all be over.  
"Ib?" Ib looked up from the bottom of the staircase and saw Leah standing outside Mary's room, a paintbrush in her hand. "What's going on?"  
"Mary's chased us," Ib panted. "We have to run, but Aki, Sabitsuki and Viola need your help."  
"No," Leah muttered as Ellen reached her. "It's Mary that needs help, and I've tried..."  
"It's not your fault," Ellen stopped to reassure Leah. "You did your best."  
"Come on," Garry shouted. "We have to go!"  
Ellen glanced one last time at Leah before rushing after Garry and Ib.  
_I hope she'll be okay, _Ib thought as Mary appeared at the top of the stairs, luckily completely ignoring Leah.  
She, Ellen and Garry sprinted past Mary's room, out the door and back into the sketchbook. Garry pulled the pink key out of his jacket pocket as the three of them drew closer to the centre of the sketchbook.  
"No!" Mary yelled. "I won't let you leave me alone again this time!"  
Garry shoved the key in the lock, turned it and pulled the door open. Ib darted through the door, following Ellen and Garry down the long staircase.  
"I thought we were _friends!_" Mary called desperately.  
"This isn't how you treat friends!" Ellen yelled back.  
Distracted, Ib suddenly stumbled near the bottom of the staircase and tumbled down the last few stairs, landing with a loud thud at the foot of them.  
"Ib!" Garry exclaimed.  
Before any of them could reach Ib, Mary appeared behind her. Too exhausted to stand back up, Ib only let out a sigh as Mary took the red rose from Ib's outstretched hand.  
"Got you!" Mary giggled.  
"Give that back," Garry demanded. "That doesn't belong to you."  
"What are you gonna do? Burn me? If you come any closer, I kill Ib so she stays with me forever! And I'll burn that big painting you left with last time, so you can't leave either!"  
"Mary, please, we can't stay with you! Just let us go, and we can all be happy." Ellen took a step closer to the girl. "I know what it's like to be lonely, and I nearly killed Viola in my desperation to be loved…but I realised she loved me, just as Leah loves you enough to try and help you."  
"But she's only one friend, and...I want Ib to be my friend too," Mary sniffed.  
"Mary," Ib murmured. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I have my own life, and I can't spend it down here with you."  
Mary stomped her foot – which was alarmingly close to Ib's head – in frustration. "_Why not?!"_  
Ib didn't reply. She knew that whatever she said, Mary wouldn't be satisfied until she stayed with her.  
"You have Leah," Garry said gently. "You finally have the friend you wanted so much. So please, just let us go."  
The pallet knife clattered to the floor, the rose drifting lazily after it. Mary stepped away from Ib. Garry rushed over to Ib and helped her to her feet.  
"Mary..." Ib reached her hand out to her. "Even if I don't stay with you, we'll always be friends. Even if I'm not here."  
Mary clenched her fists. "I know," she sobbed. "I just don't want to be alone."  
"You'll never be alone." Ellen promised.  
"Now, shall we go?" Garry suggested. "It's finally time for all of this to end."  
Mary nodded. "Go, then."  
Ib dropped her hand to her side, then bent down to pick up her rose. As she did so, she suddenly remembered Aki and the others. "What about the other three? Shouldn't we wait for them?"  
Garry shook his head. "They've got Leah. They'll be fine."  
"I don't want to leave without them." Ellen glared at him.  
"We might have to. Besides, Aki and Viola are paintings. They may have to find another way out."  
"They're fine," Mary told them. "I can see them. They're okay."  
Ib nodded. "We should go. I'm sorry I won't get to say goodbye to them, but at least I'll know they're safe."  
Ellen sighed and folded her arms, but followed Ib and Garry to the staircase without another word.  
Ib turned to face Mary for the last time. "Goodbye," she said. "I hope we'll meet again one day."  
Mary didn't show any signs of having heard her, but Ib knew she had.  
"Hey Ib," Ellen said suddenly. "What are you going to do about being a witch?"  
Ib froze. "I-I don't..." _I had completely forgotten about that._  
"The only way to reverse it would be for someone else to wish for you to be a human again, right?" Garry frowned.  
"I don't want to be a witch," Ib muttered.  
Ellen glanced at her friend. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Maybe you'll only be a witch in this gallery? Who knows..."  
"But what if I am a witch in the real world?" _I don't want to be ten years old forever! I want to be normal!_  
"Hey, Ib, it's okay," Ellen smiled. "There _will _be a way to reverse it, I'm sure. If I can find it, I'll tell you, however I have to get the message to you!"  
"Thanks, Ellen." Ib wiped her eyes as they reached the Fabricated World painting. "Thanks..."

Leah frowned as Mary raced past her after the others. Part of her was tempted to follow, but another part told her that the others would be fine without her. Sighing, she turned and descended the staircase, wondering if Mary would ever learn how to treat people properly.  
"Oh no." Viola's voice – high-pitched with alarm — drifted up from the corridor leading to the other part of Mary's room. "I can't feel a pulse – wait, no...there's a slight one. We have to hurry, Aki! Can you take her rose up to the vase?"  
"What if the dolls come back? I could barely move Sabitsuki myself, and I'm bigger than you. I'm not sure if you'd be able to move fast enough," Aki argued.  
Leah turned the corner and saw Sabitsuki propped against the wall, Viola and Aki leaning over her.  
"Leah!" Aki exclaimed as she realised someone was approaching. "Good thing you're here! Can you take Sabitsuki's rose up to the vase? I don't want to leave Viola alone with her if something bad happens..."  
"Calm down," Leah said as she stopped in front of them. "Viola can take the rose up. I think she needs a moment on her own to calm down."  
Viola nodded. "Okay...thanks." She got up, gently carrying Sabitsuki's rose, though her hands were shaking slightly. Once she had left, Leah stared at Aki. "You're becoming human again."  
"Yeah…?" Aki raised her eyebrows. "How did you find out?"  
"I can tell. You're acting differently, like you're not as sure of this place. You're not sure that you're safe here any more."  
"You'd be a great detective," Aki smiled.  
"I suppose I would," Leah agreed.  
They waited in silence until, suddenly, Sabitsuki let out a groan.  
"It worked! Quick, let's help her up," Aki dashed over to the girl.  
"A-Aki? Leah…?" Sabitsuki said in surprise. "What..."  
Leah bent over her. "It's okay. I'm here to help."  
"Y-you're the one I killed...as Rust..." Guilt filled Sabitsuki's eyes. "I'm sorry."  
Leah shook her head. "It's okay. I know that's not who you really are."  
"At least Rust is gone now, right?" Aki said.  
Sabitsuki nodded as Viola appeared, looking slightly calmer. "Here's your rose."  
Sabitsuki took the rose and slowly got to her feet. She wobbled a little, but Aki supported her with her shoulder.  
"Did all the others...have to run from Mary?" Sabitsuki asked.  
"I'm afraid so," Leah said grimly. "Mary is very determined."  
"Then how are we going to save them? Where are they?" Sabitsuki's voice shook with worry.  
Leah closed her eyes and pictured the area, searching through different rooms until she found them. The group was in the dark gallery, with Mary standing over Ib. However Mary soon dropped something – Leah assumed it was her pallet knife – and stepped away from Ib.  
"They're okay, right?" Viola asked anxiously.  
Leah nodded.  
"We should get going, then," Aki decided. "There's no point in waiting now that everyone's fine."  
"I may as well go with you. I'll need to make sure Mary's okay," Leah explained.  
"I hope we can escape," Viola whispered. "I really hope everyone's sacrifices weren't for nothing."  
"We'll be fine," Aki said comfortingly. "I'm sure of it."


	17. Forgiveness

Sabitsuki still felt a bit weak after her near-death experience. As she, Viola, Aki and Leah left Mary's room for the sketchbook, she still couldn't stop thinking about Rust. _So much __unnecessary__death, and it all could have been avoided if it hadn't been for me... _She let out a quiet sigh. _I wonder if I'll ever get over it? I hope so...at least she's gone now._

"You know it's not your fault that Rust exists, right?" Leah said suddenly, slowing down to keep pace with Sabitsuki.

"H-huh? Yeah, I know." Sabitsuki avoided looking directly at Leah.

"No, I don't think you do," Leah narrowed her eyes. "I wish you did. You can't blame yourself for everything. Where will that get you? Don't blame yourself, and don't blame innocent people. It's Rust's fault – even though she's not really a person – that she chose to kill."

"But she was in _my _body," Sabitsuki protested, "so I should have been able to control her better."

"Don't you understand? She may have been a part of your body, but _she's not you._ You're not like Rust. You're your own person, Sabitsuki." Leah moved ahead to catch up with Viola and Aki as they reached the pink room, leaving Sabitsuki to her thoughts.

Sabitsuki lowered her gaze to her feet. _Forgive yourself, _she told herself. _It's Rust's fault, not yours._

The group moved into single file as they entered the pink room. As they moved slowly down the stairs, Sabitsuki suddenly felt the presence of someone else behind her; yet when she turned, nothing was there. _Now I'm just imagining things...Rust is gone, right? Is she going to haunt me my entire life?_

Confused, Sabitsuki tried to forget it and turned back to the group, who were now at the bottom of the stairs. They were back in the darkened version of the gallery. Leah turned and smiled at her as she joined them. "We made it. You're free to go."

"What if the painting's...broken?" Aki asked.

Leah shook her head. "It wouldn't stay like that for long. We've been here for a while, so it should be fine now. Like all wounds, it takes a while, but it will heal eventually."

Viola nodded. "Alright. Then let's go."

"I guess I'll say goodbye and go back to Mary, now." Leah smiled and began to turn away.

"Wait!" Aki exclaimed. "There have been enough sacrifices that you could escape, too. You can come with us! I know Mary will be lonely, but...she tried to kill us. Maybe she deserves it."

"No."

"What...do you mean? Do you _want _to stay here?" Aki's voice was filled with confusion.

Leah nodded. "This may sound strange, but I actually quite like it here. This place is filled with character and life, unlike my house."

"How can it be filled with life if...you're dead?" Aki still sounded puzzled.

"And anyway," Viola added. "You know if you stay here, you'll be forgotten! Don't you want anyone to remember you lived?"

Leah shrugged. "You will. Mary will. Look, I don't know how to explain it. You wouldn't understand; but I like it better here, and I'd like to stay with Mary. She's my friend. It was nice to meet you all, but I think I will stay here. No one deserves to be alone. Even Mary," she turned and began to walk back up the stairs. "Aki, Viola, Sabitsuki...goodbye."

Aki's head drooped and Viola looked defeated. Sabitsuki, too, felt sad to see Leah go. _She was so mature and kind...I hope I meet someone like her again._

"I guess we should get going, huh?" Aki attempted to sound cheerful, but it didn't quite work. Slowly, the three of them made their way towards the Fabricated World painting, knowing these were their last moments together. Sabitsuki felt sorry she hadn't gotten to know them better, but it was too late now. _Perhaps if I don't say much...I won't feel lonely when I leave them. _She'd carried that thought with her for her whole life. Maybe it was time to change.

"Hey, Aki," Sabitsuki said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say I'm...I'm sorry Rust killed Yoshino and tried to kill you guys. In some way, I even feel responsible for Saotome's death, because I know Rust would have killed her if she hadn't disappeared anyway. I know I'm asking a lot, but...I hope you, and Viola, can forgive me."

"It's okay, Sabitsuki. We forgive you." Viola said.

"Yeah, I never blamed you for what happened!" Aki cried. "To be honest, I never really cared about Yoshino anyway!"

Sabitsuki stared at her. "But...she was your classmate."

"She was a bully."

"I guess...well...thank you. I-I'm really glad you're kind enough to forgive me." Sabitsuki grabbed Aki and Viola and pulled them into a hug. "I'll miss you."

Sabitsuki, Aki and Viola stood facing the 'Fabricated world' painting.

_Can we really go back? The sacrifices have been made: Saotome, Yoshino, Leah...and Mary, _Viola thought, letting out a small sigh.

"The others escaped, right?" Aki asked suddenly. "They got out?"

"Probably. Otherwise they'd be here, wouldn't they?" Sabitsuki answered. "I think we'd know if something bad had happened.

"Yeah," Viola frowned. "I only wish _our _escape hadn't come at such a high price..."

Aki nodded. "I hope...they're in a happier place."

Mary, who, like Viola, had sacrificed herself; Saotome, who had tried to escape the gallery, but had found that the way out had been broken and had not yet healed; finally, Yoshino and Leah, who had both been struck down by Rust, an illness that had taken over Sabitsuki's body. _They weren't supposed to die..._

And now, here they were. They had been through so much. They were finally escaping the gallery.

"I guess...I won't see you again...?" Viola turned to Aki and Sabitsuki.

"Yeah. This is goodbye, then..." Aki said, waving to her friends and climbing up into the painting.

Sabitsuki follow her then helped Viola up, who waved at the gallery. "I hope you're happy here, Mary! And Saotome, Yoshino, Leah, we'll never, ever forget you!"

"Don't ever forget us, okay?" Aki added. "And don't forget Misao either!"

"Goodbye!" Viola smiled sadly. Although the gallery was a place filled with horror and lonliness, she'd shared the experience with other friends. Even though she'd probably never see them again, she'd never forget what happened.

"I really hope I never forget you two..." Sabitsuki muttered.

"Let's not get too sentimental, okay?" Aki grinned. "Or Viola'll start crying."

Viola crossed her arms. "No way!" _Well...maybe._

She knew, somehow, that this was the last time she would ever 'visit' this gallery.

"Well, I'm off!" Aki said cheerfully. "It was nice knowing you, Viola, Sabitsuki."

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of white light and the three girls disappeared from sight.


	18. Epilogue

Sabitsuki found herself back in her room, lying on the floor next to her bed. Two girls were leaning over her. One had short light-brown hair and the other had long brown hair tied into twin braids. Madotsuki.

"M-Madotsuki?" Sabitsuki sat up. She glanced at the other girl. "Who are you?"

The other girl smiled. "I'm Urotsuki. Don't you know me? I live in this apartment building, too. I think I've seen you a few times. Anyways, I heard a thump in this room, opened the door and found you'd fainted! So I got Madotsuki, because she's great in emergencies, and almost as soon as we got here you woke up. " She said all of this very quickly. Sabitsuki could barely keep up.

Madotsuki frowned down at her. "You seem familiar. I feel like I know you from somewhere...but where?"

_She doesn't remember the first time, but why would she? The Madotsuki from back then...she felt different. Perhaps she was from another world?_ Sabitsuki quickly shook her head and smiled back at them. "Maybe we met in a dream, or something. Anyway, I'm fine now, but..." She took a deep breath. _It's time to change. _"Would you like to stay here for a bit? I know it's a small place, but-"

"Oh, I'd love to!" Urotsuki cried before Sabitsuki could finish her sentence. "We could organise special days where we can all hang out and have lunch together and play video games! Maybe one day I could even invite Usotsuki and the others, if you don't mind...wow, this is gonna be great! New friends!"

Sabitsuki and Madotsuki giggled. _I can tell, _Sabitsuki thought, _that my life is going to be better from now on._

"Is she going to be okay?"

Viola slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring up at the face of a woman she'd never met before. The woman looked official and she was holding a syringe. "Ugh..." Viola groaned. "Are you a doctor?"

"Good, you're awake. Yes, I am a doctor. Aya, can you pass me a cloth? I need to clean the wound on her arm. It looks like it could be infected."

_Aya?! _Viola sat up in alarm. _Is that... _Yes, the Aya the doctor mentioned had long black hair and wore a long blue dress. That was the Aya Viola had met.

"Please, try not to move so suddenly," the woman told her, annoyed.

"Where am I?" Viola demanded. "I don't remember being here. Who are you?"

"Relax," the woman said. Her voice was quite soothing. "If you relax and lie down again, I'll tell you."

Viola nodded and sank back down onto the bench.

"My name is Maria. Your father came not too long ago and dropped you off here. He said you'd suddenly collapsed and been unconscious for quite a long time. Are you feeling a bit better now?"

_So I'm back...it worked. _Viola thought. "U-uh, yeah. I feel a lot better..." ..._Now that I'm not a painting and being chased everywhere._

"Well, me and Aya -" Aya ran back into the room holding a cloth. "-Run this place. It's a free clinic, mostly because it's so out-of-the-way. Most people wouldn't find it, but you're obviously from the nearby village." Maria paused and dabbed at Viola's wound. "I told your father I'd keep you here for a couple of days just to make sure you were fit to make the journey back. You see, we don't yet have any means of transport. I was thinking of getting horses soon, though."

Viola nodded. "That's okay. I don't mind."

"Yes, I thought you'd be okay. Aya will take good care of you, I'm sure. And...another girl, a friend of yours, I'm assuming, came over a while ago while you were unconscious. I think her name might have been something along the lines of Helen...?"

_Ellen! Ellen's safe!_

"Ellen," Viola corrected her, smiling a little. "Her name is Ellen. Will she be back here soon?"

"I told her to come back tomorrow, so you'll have to wait. It seems that she's a very good friend, though, coming all this way on her own just to see you."

Viola nodded. "She is. She's my best friend."

Maria nodded and placed the damp cloth on another bench next to her. "Alright, I think you're okay for now. I'll check you again tonight, but until then, make yourself at home."

Viola swung her legs over the side of the bench and hopped down onto the floor. Sunlight filtered through the many windows, lighting up the place and giving it a more home-like feeling. "Aya," Viola smiled and turned to the girl. "That's a nice name." _Will she remember? _Viola crossed her fingers. _Please don't let her forget us!_

"Viola..." she frowned. "I know that name from somewhere." Her dark blue eyes were filled with concentration. "Hey..." she said suddenly, "this may sound strange, but...have you ever had a dream about being trapped in a gallery?"

Viola felt another smile spread across her face. "Yes! Yes, I have! Oh Aya, I'm so glad you remember!" Viola hugged the girl tightly. "That wasn't a dream, it was real!"

"It...was? When I arrived back, I was home again! I went back to sleep that night and when I woke up, all I could remember was you, Ib, Mary and Ellen. A while after that, I almost forgot everything. I guess I just needed a little reminder. But...didn't you sacrifice yourself? To save Mary?"

Viola stepped back, sure her face was showing all the happiness she felt. "I'll tell you all about it, I promise. Just let me rest for a bit, okay?"

Aya nodded, beaming. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Me too. Oh Aya, this is wonderful! I can't wait until Ellen shows up tomorrow!"

_I'm so happy...I found her. I guess we'll all have to stay together from now on!_

Aki stared at the ground, determined not to cry. She held a black umbrella in one hand, and Ayaka's hand in the other. Thunder rumbled in the distance and rain fell heavily from the sky. It was the perfect weather to set the mood for a funeral.

"Misao, Yoshino and Saotome were all bright, brilliant girls..." her teacher, Mr Sohta, was still talking about them. Next to her, Ayaka was sobbing loudly, but Aki didn't care. She didn't blame her. Three of their classmates had just been lost, two of which Aki had been close to. As for Yoshino...Aki wasn't exactly devastated.

"Hey, Ayaka, it's okay," Aki pulled her closer to stand properly under the umbrella. "I'm sure Misao's happier now, and Saotome and maybe even Yoshino are watching over us right now. I can tell."

Ayaka nodded. "Yeah...but I don't Yoshino haunting me 'cause I called her a witch..."

Aki snorted. "As if." _I'm the one she'll be haunting, if anyone. I sent her to the gallery. I was responsible for her death...and Saotome's._

"Tohma's probably flirting with another girl as we speak," Ayaka scoffed. "I can't believe you had a crush on him! He's so insensitive!"  
Aki nudged her. "Did not! I _thought _he was cool. You're right, now I know he's just a jerk."

"Thanks for making me feel better, Aki," Ayaka smiled. "You always know how to cheer people up. Now the only thing that could make me truly happy is..."

Aki stopped listening as Ayaka quietly went on about Mr Sohta. She stared up into the sky, thinking. _Misao...I hope you don't mind being where you are. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. I'll live out the rest of my life for you. I don't care if everyone else forgets you. I'll remember you, forever._

"Don't you love these macaroons, Ib?" Garry asked. "Aren't they just amazing?"

Ib nodded. "Yeah. They are pretty good."

"Hmm...it's a shame they're so unhealthy. I guess we'll have to go for a run to burn all the fat off!"

She and Garry were seated in a cafe, eating macaroons while waiting for their main order.

After they'd escaped the gallery, Ib and Garry had woken up next to the (real) Fabricated World painting. Of course, no one else from the gallery had shown up, and Ib and Garry had decided to go to a cafe to relax.

_I'm glad I was only a witch in the gallery, but...does that mean my wish can come true as long as I'm not down there for the magic to work? Is that how witches work? _Ib sighed.

"Ib, what's wrong?" Garry asked. "I was only joking about the running, you know!"

"I wish Mary were here."

"Oh...Ib, I'm sorry. I know how much she meant to you, even though you only knew her for a while. But, you know, something would go wrong if she had been able to escape. She has quite a short temper and I hate to think about what would have happened if she...lost it."

Ib shivered. "I know...but I don't like to think about that side of her. The Mary I knew would have fit in well here, and we could have helped her learn to control her temper, just like Leah was doing! I know that can't happen, though...I made that impossible."

"It's okay, Ib. No one blamed you, remember? Before we left, Ellen said demons like to trick their victims by granting the wish, but if it isn't worded properly, the outcome could be the complete opposite of what you wanted."

"I guess..." Ib murmured.

"So blame the demon!" Garry exclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly. "It tricked you, so Mary being trapped is the demon's fault, not yours."

Ib nodded. "You're right. Knowing Mary, she'll discover another way out." _I'm not so sure about that, but...you never know._

Garry nodded, smiling. "That's right, Ib. Now, these macaroons aren't going to eat themselves, are they?"

Ib laughed and nodded. Ever since the first time she'd been trapped in the gallery, she didn't think she'd felt better.

Yoshino awoke to a blurry dark blue room. She groaned and blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. All she could make out were strange lumpy shapes on top of what seemed to be two shelves on either side of the room, and she was facing what she thought was a door. She tried to sit up, but let out a cry as an ache sliced through her head.

"_Saotome! Saotome, what happened? Where are you?!" Yoshino walked through the dark, empty gallery, calling for her friend over and over._

Yoshino clapped her hands over her ears. _Am I...reliving my death? _"Wh-what the hell..." she muttered. "Why is this happening...?"

"_What the heck happened? Saotome!" But no one replied, and no one heard her._

"_Aki!" Yoshino yelled. "Aki, where are you?! We need to find Saotome!" She didn't notice the girl standing behind her, raising her crowbar._

"_Aki! Saotome! Come on, quit jokin' around! This is serious!"_

_The girl raised the crowbar above her head. Yoshino turned around and saw her standing there. "H-huh?"_

_Just then, the other girl brought the crowbar down over her head, hard. Yoshino saw her bright red eyes gleam before pain exploded in her head. "YAAAAAH-" Yoshino collapsed. She was dead, there was no doubt about that. The other girl smiled and pushed a lock of grey-white hair away from her face._

Yoshino's head ached for a second longer before fading away completely. _Who the hell was that girl? I'll get her!_

Yoshino quickly sat up and stared around the room. Suddenly, the lights flickered on. Yoshino let out a shriek of surprise as she saw creepy blue dolls with bright red eyes and messy black hair staring back down at her. "Agh! What's going on?!" Yoshino got to her feet and raced to the door. She tried to turn the doorknob, but the door was locked from the outside.

"Help!" she yelled, but no one replied.

Writing suddenly appeared on the door, making Yoshino jump. **You're one of us now. You're not leaving.**

A giggle came from the back of the room, and Yoshino slowly turned around. A large empty painting hung on the back wall. Yoshino gulped as a blue hand suddenly appeared, clutching at the bottom of the painting. A huge, creepy blue doll slowly pulled itself out of the painting, its red eyes gleaming and its mouth open in a wide grin.

"Aki! Saotome! Help!" Yoshino yelled. "I don't want this! I'm _sorry!_" Yoshino closed her eyes, as her vision had become tainted with red. She felt a cold presence looming up behind her, a blue hand grabbing at her, pulling her down into the depths of the painting.

A little girl's voice was the last thing Yoshino heard, far at the back of her mind. _You'll be my friend, won't you? Once you've calmed down, I'll let you out of this room and we can be together forever! I'm Mary, by the way. What's your name?_

Saotome's body lay halfway between the Fabricated World and the Real World. All that could be seen was black. At two opposite ends were the two different realities. Saotome lifted her head and blinked open her eyes. _Wh-where is everyone? _She stood up and stared around, seeing the two slits of light at either end of the limbo she was stuck in. _One of those must be the real world. But which one? Maybe they're both the same... _

"Saotome!" Saotome jumped as her name was called. It sounded like it had come from the light on the left. _Maybe it was...yes, I'm sure of it! That voice was Tohma's! He was calling for me! _She ran towards the one on her left, feeling lighthearted and happy. Hearing Tohma's voice told her _this _one led to the real world. Something in heart was tugging her that way. _I'll finally be able to get back home! _As she drew closer to the wall of light, she reached out her hand and was swallowed up by the brightness.

Saotome awoke in a dimmed art gallery. She stared up at the painting, **'Fabricated World'**. It looked quite innocent, but in fact it had _nearly killed _her. Somehow. She raced for the exit, thinking it must be past closing time. Her long golden ponytail swung behind her as she ran. She raced downstairs and towards the double doors at the front of the gallery. None of the paintings or statues were moving to her relief, so Saotome decided it must be the real world.

Outside it was pitch black. The double doors seemed to be locked from both sides.

_...It's definitely past closing time... _Sighing in disappointment, Saotome sat down on the bottom stair of the staircase. _What do I do now? _She had no idea what time it was, and there didn't seem to be any sort of clock in the gallery.

"Saotome!" came a sudden voice. It wasn't Tohma this time. Saotome couldn't place a name to the voice. The girl whipped around, facing away from the front desk. She saw nothing, so decided it must have been a part of her imagination. She didn't hear the voice again, so that confirmed her theory.

It was completely silent in the gallery. Saotome curled up on the floor, closed her eyes and prepared for a long night. As the world faded around her, she thought she heard her name being called one more time.

She didn't open her eyes.

_She's only sleeping._

_Because she said she'd found the way out._

_And she promised the others she'd escape._

_...Isn't she? Saotome? Hey, you're only sleeping, right?_

_C'mon, I found your friend! We can all play together. Leah's here too!_

_So come on...wake up!_


End file.
